Lion King 4, Book III: The Fall of Priderock
by Daggermouth
Summary: Echoes whisper across the land as the Black Scarabs have chosen their next victim. Monsters stir in the Shadowlands. The devourer of worlds is approaching, is this the end of Priderock?
1. Fallen Ash

**Author:** Daggermouth

**Lion King 4**  
><strong>Chapter: I – Fallen Ash.<strong>

The unforgiving Shadowland, this place was made of pure darkness; where no bright light shone accept for the abundance of raging lightning storms. The sun here was completely blanked behind the thick black clouds. Twisters spun around from the sky towards the ground causing everlasting destruction. Dark phantoms roamed this land; black tinted spirits in the shape foxes float and dance across the land, whispers follow the spirits as they hover slowly across the charred ground. Across this desolate place a lioness walks. Her red eyes shine and gleam in the darkness, but the grey lioness was sad. Her paws padded across the deathly Shadowlands towards the body of a once beautiful queen named Zira. The deceased lioness was holding a grey scarf weaved from the undergrowth of the forest that time forgot. She is the spitting image of Uzuri and the grey lioness takes the scarf from the lioness infront of her and wraps it around her right paw. The scarf was important to her and she recognized it with mournful eyes

"Solta!" A sudden high pitched voice of the snake Joka calls impatiently from afar. Solta doesn't move, the grey lioness instead sits sadly next to the lifeless body infront of her. Her master was calling her but right now she didn't care instead she looks down and squinting her tired eyes tightly. She didn't want to cry; she promised herself she wouldn't cry. Solta trembles, shaking in fear she walks away off to find her snake master who had just killed Zira with mercy. Solta was tied to the purple snake with red stripes, many moons ago she quickly became the snakes pawn. Continuing to walk away slowly while gathering her thoughts she stops still for a second before looking over her shoulder to take one last look at the body, her fur was tainted grey just like Solta's. But they had more in common than just the colour of their fur, for the malevolent queen Zira was Solta's sister, the sister Solta never got to know or even meet; until now. Parting with a silent goodbye Solta finally leaves the scene in a white flash of raging purple lightning.  
>"I'm so sorry Zira, my sister,"<p>

**Book Three **– **The Darkness and Fall of Priderock.**

The whispers of the phantom foxes were carried across the wind, twisting through the air towards Priderock. The monument had just seen the turn of war, the second of which Zira incanted. The fighting raged onwards for hours through the night itself. As the wind floats by the devastation of Priderock is seen clearly. The area around Priderock was either damaged or completely dead; the grass itself was rotting away and dying from the constant scuffles of battle upon it. It was a mournful sight, from the abundant clouds surrounding the area small particles of ash fall from above covering the once green grass into a foggy powdered grey colour. The wind whistled around, swirling through the quiet air. Emerging through the dust everyone struggles to accept what happened. It seems the past had finally caught up with the present. Some were in shock and some could be heard crying in the distance. Most were too tired or injured to even stand up; it was a devastating sight especially for Simba who realises his lion pride is broken, but most of all he was covered in violent bleeding scars. The Lion King steps through the fog and ash with only an expression of complete thoughtlessness on his maw. His tail brushing through the piles of ash on the ground he marches slowly up his throne. But even the strength of the king was not enough for soon he found himself collapsing halfway up Priderock. With nobody to go towards to his aid, wounded countless times and breathing only ever so softly Simba lies on the bitter stone, and thus ends another bloody chapter of Pridelands history.

That night seemed to last forever...

The time after the fighting became mournful days of remembrance in Prideland history, not only was war fought on this soil once more but fatality was also suffered. Sarafina who was loved by so many didn't make it through this battle alive, during the fighting her life was taken before its time by Banzai the presumably harmless hyena. It's only now after the fighting subsided that everyone can mourn her death. After the gruesome task of delivering Sarafina to her last resting place was over, the survivors of the battle gathered around to say their final farewell before the winds come to claim her and take her kind and loving spirit away forever. None mourned more so than Nala. The lioness stood for hours as the pink petals twirled in the air around her. Sarafina's body had gone stiff and Nala realised her caring but playful mother was no longer inside her shell. Life had been completely drained from Sarafina. Nala knew where the spirits go after the echoes upon the wind comes to collect the deceased, all spirits return to the Great Beyond, the name of the afterlife here in the Savannah, and that's where Sarafina's spirit must have gone and that's why her body was just an empty shell now. Kissing her mother on the forehead Nala takes a deep breath before turning away. The anger Nala had was now long gone, feeling almost accustom to pain after she had lost so many as she takes the long road home. When leaving, the whistling wind was finally silenced behind her.

Several hours of despair and turmoil followed for all the inhabitants of Priderock. The clean-up of Priderock took several days more, for the first time the sun was blocked from the sky, the hunts from the lionesses ceased until the clean-up was over. As everyone cleans up the surrounding area, brushing ash away, uprooting destroyed trees or moving misplaced rocks, a group gathers underneath the main terrace of Priderock. Through the devastation Kiara lies with her fiancé Kovu licking clean his many wounds.  
>"Perhaps this falling ash is how the Prideland mourns." Kiara pouts referring to the ash falling from the sky like tears from above. If it wasn't for Kiara journeying to find her brother, the battle may not have been won, for some unknown reason she knew exactly where to find him, she was only saddened she had to first meet him in such dire circumstances.<p>

Alongside the prince and princess lay Chumvi and Kula who are also resting, dragged into battle with everyone else they only came to Priderock to find a way to heal their forest home which is frozen, both of them survived the battle and now nuzzle eachother warmly while counting their blessings in the cold shadow of Priderock.

Kivuli the elder lion curses Kopa for his actions repeating to the prince what he told him on Priderock just days before:

"I know those Shadowlands Kopa. And I can assure you something much darker and stronger is growing there, sending Zira only triggered a much greater evil in the Shadowland. Everything will now be made to suffer..." Kivuli sits down sighing to himself and looks to the ground filling with despair knowing his old mate will surely meet her end over in that dark land. Kopa apologizes before walking off to find his father. Passing across the dead grass which is slowly growing once more, Kopa walks up onto Priderock, the stone under his paws feeling cold from the blotted out sun. The prince approaches his father who lies in the lion's den with a glum face.  
>"Did this look like a victory to you Kopa?" Simba says lowly, the bright cheeky expression once in his face, gone.<br>"We beat them, and Zira, so why does it still feel like we did something wrong?"  
>"Because Kopa, you heard Kivuli, there is something else coming for us. There's always someone trying to break us or take the Pridelands. Make no mistake my son, you did right to send Zira to her certain demise in the Shadowland. You see while Scar was made into a monster from being mistreated, Zira made herself into a monster, she unlike Scar, really did fall into darkness and when the time came I guess she just accept her fate in the Shadowland. So everyone right now just seems to be blaming eachother." And the Lion King was right, the pride needed to rest and recover. Kopa felt even Vitani hated him now, for it was her mother the prince sent to the Shadowland. It was the prince's first act to becoming a true Lion King but because of it the pride was divided on two sides.<p>

"Dad, there is a creature I met once in the Outland, he told me: Four will die. I didn't believe him at first, but now I'm not so sure. Sarafina, what if she is the first of many," Kopa explains but his father just grabs him and holds him closely, through all the drama neither of them had the chance to talk properly. Simba speaks to his son with the same wise words Mufasa once told him:

"Whatever happens, no matter how many of us fall, no matter how many hard decisions you must take, my son: remember who you are."

Watching the father and son from afar with teary eyes Timon sits on Pumbaa snout petting the warthog as to comfort his best friend, they had missed the prince more than anyone, as a cub Kopa used to play with. Both of the best friends had missed Kopa more than anyone. Pumbaa still remember the tears he parted with when the news came swooping between Timon and Pumbaa flies Zazu who plants himself directly infront of the king.

"Sire, I can confirm Zira has gone to the Shadowland, and well, nobody ever comes back from there," Zazu gulps dreading the very mention of the Shadowlands. During the war Zazu panicked and decided to hide in an old savannah tree, he couldn't fight; Simba turns his head towards his friends, as Timon and Pumbaa run towards the king and his son Kopa to catch up on old times. The laugher of old times brings back the smile to Simba's face, with his renewed courage Simba begins to address his subjects, he leads everyone to quickly restore Priderock, Pumbaa helps by carrying water in his large snout to water the dead grass, Zazu carries seeds from nearby flowers to drop on the dirt that the lionesses dig up together. Movement finally tweaked its way across the ash stained land. Foliage finally starts to harvest, pushing through the layers of ash on the ground Simba had worried if everyone would have to migrate, the last time Priderock was attacked like this everyone had to leave Priderock and go to the location named as the Grass Wall and this time was known as the Great Migration. But Simba was headstrong, he this time had his son with him, and together the area around Priderock was starting to grow once more.

But alas it was time for Simba to say goodbye to his old friends: Chumvi and Kula. Simba's son Kopa explains that were was strange fog when he was a cub, when he was first attacked by Zira a cold icy mist appeared. Simba says that the fog comes from some underground lakes. And finally an apology from everyone, but Chumvi and Kula smile, they stayed in the Pridelands because it needed help, they wanted to help.

"How's is my best friend Afua?" Kopa had to ask about Afua as they were best friends as cubs. But as Chumvi and Kula explain, they left Afua and his mate Beba back home and days they don't know what happened after they departed. But Kula nuzzles the young Kopa telling him they'll be fine and that Afua does miss him. With the new information thanks to the Lion King, Chumvi and Kula begin the first step on their long journey back home walking out of site onto the horizon and into the sunset, to hopefully stop the icy mist there.

The scar on Kopa's right eye is fully healed now. It seemed so long ago that the two princes Kovu and Kopa were tumbling down Priderock fighting for the place to be the next king. But these are the only thoughts crossing Kopa's mind as he apologizes to the dark lion Kovu for everything. And for the first time, Kopa, Vitani, Kiara and Kovu stand together in the almost completely recovered Pridelands, for these four friends will have to manage Priderock when Simba and Nala were gone. Together the four were all talking and sharing their thoughts of the good times which have passed and the bad times which are still to come. Kopa breaks off from the rest of his friends and family and walks leisurely to the lion's den, when entering he lays down on the stone for a nice nap, but as the lion does something before him catches his eye and suddenly the air grows cold. Kopa squints at a strange rock infront of him; he picks it up just as Vitani enters the den. Kopa turns his paw to look at the stone and his heart sinks when he sees the pattern carved upon it. It's a Black Scarab.

"No... No..." Vitani frowns in disbelief, Sarafina couldn't escape the curse of the Black Scarab and now a Black Scarab had made its way to Kopa. The mysterious black stones serve as a grave warning as ancient tales declare whoever receives a Black Scarab will surely die in the ensuing days. Vitani rushes up to her mate Kopa nuzzling him for comfort in the centre of the lion's den, she never wants to let him go again. They had only just found eachother and now it seems sometime soon they will have to separate for the final time...

Meanwhile far across the Savannah and into the deepest, darkest shadows...

Purple lightning rages through the deep black sky. The Shadowland is once inhabited. In the heart of this land a purple snake with red stripes. The snake Joka gifted with second sight. The snake slivers up and down pacing; there was no questioning that this snake was more than what it seemed. It speaks with a high-pitched piercing voice and with elongated hisses,

"Zira's attack only served to break them. She did perfectly as planned; The Pridelands are broken, now we can move in. We shall deliver them all to the Great Beyond!" From behind Joka a dark coloured lioness wearing Uzuri's old grey scarf around her white paw. This is Solta the strong grey lioness and Zira's sister; she stands with Joka he eyes widened as if she'd been hypnotized.

"Bhat!" The snake hisses loudly calling the name of another one of his pawns. Suddenly a small bat-eared female fox approaches with a slight swing in stride and a devious grin on her maw. Bhat is Joka's female fox assistant, however she served him willingly, Bhat had long been a member of the Pridelands but now she was in the Shadowland. Joka speaks once more to the small fox:

"Bhat, we must prepare for the final battle. It all ends from here... " Bhat nods smiling before replying  
>"Yes master," she giggles almost childishly before dancing away into the darkness. Joka's red eye's gleam in the dark Shadowland he slivers away to act out his master plan, to prepare for the end of the Circle of Life.<p>

**End of Episode** **I.**


	2. Ahadi and the Sacred Valley

**Author: **Daggermouth

**Lion King 4**  
><strong>Chapter: II – Ahadi and the Sacred Valley.<strong>

_Before the war at Priderock there a fateful meeting... Nala the queen had just been told that Mheetu may still live. While searching through the Elephant Graveyard she met her old friend Malka once more..._**  
><strong>  
>Mheetu was said to be killed by Scar, Nala had talked to a purple snake with red stripes and it was that snake who told who about Mheetu. She realises she was acting upon the word of a stranger, she realises the snake lied to her to get her away from Priderock. As Nala regrets everything and sulks into despair. Malka comforts her, Nala had a new found courage with Malka, with him by her side the two of them searched the Elephant Graveyard one last time, but Mheetu was never found and this only confirmed Nala's feelings that the snake she met lied to her about everything. Malka believes the snake did it to help the queen grieve and to help her release the feelings she's felt trapped inside her for so long. But Malka is not surprised because he too has heard of this snake, infact Malka has met this snake before, before the two old friend's part sides once more Malka explains all he knows to the lost Nala:<p>

"His name is Joka; and he is more than just a snake...he is not one of us. He is something, more. If it brings you hope to say it then I shall: I will find Tama, and you will see her again, I promise." Malka's words bring only slight hope to the queen. Soon they go their separate ways, as Nala returns to Priderock, Malka goes the other direction travelling through the Elephant Graveyard, dodging green geysers and eventually reaches a place far to the south, Malka ventured further than any lion as before and goes beyond Five Stone and goes beyond the Grass Wall, past the Evenstar Beach and the Sunstar Desert, through the Oasis and finally beyond the mountains, Malka had a home beyond the mountains, he had his own pride, when his mother named Kilo died he was left in charge. He hasn't seen his home in so long, his search for Tama had taken him far and wide but still he never found her. Climbing up a small trail up the mountainside the adult lion dreams of old times with his seven friends, the adventures they had as cubs were legendary. But none of his seven friends had seen beyond the mountains accept him, Malka was the only cub to reside so far away from Priderock and after the Daggermouth Gorge incident, they never adventured again. Reaching the top of the mountainside Malka stands proud above his home beyond the mountains. Looking down at a huge valley covered in bamboo covered jungles and mystical shining deserts but most of all mist covered peaks stretching up into the heavens. Before the reign of Ahadi this beautiful land was undiscovered, its sun filled peaks never seen before. Malka remembers back, remembering the history of the valley all those many years ago—'  
><strong><br>**'—_Several decades ago, a very brave lion with green eyes and a hirsute maine of black was searching the Pridelands, his name was Ahadi and he was the Lion King. It was a harsh time of drought and water was scarce. The Lion King had to leave his home of thunder to search for new sources of water. His wife Uru and two cubs, Taka and Mufasa he was all forced to leave behind, with a sad heart Ahadi marched across the Pridelands. He roamed through a forest, a forest which time forget, where he met a young couple Kari and Uzuri and their two daughters Solta and Zira, he couldn't stay long and continued to travel toward the unknown of the north. Stopping here at a place also affected by the drought, the land is dry and has a dusty landscape where trees are as thin as skeletons. The ground is churning with powdery, red dust and the remaining grass turns brittle. Ahadi notices the land was covered in an eerie silence, entering the land Ahadi desperately needed nourishment of water. Here a young mandrill approaches him, weak and tired the mandrill collapses infront of the Lion King. Ahadi rushes into the Grass Wall with the mandrill upon his study back, together they approach a small lake with a few drops of water remaining. Letting the creature fall limb from his back, if either of them drank the water they would surely not be enough for the other. The kind and merciful Ahadi let the mandrill drinks the last drops in the dried up lake. _

"_What is your name?"Ahadi lays down in the hot beating sun next to the creature he just saved.  
>"My name is Rafiki, and I fear I am the last of my troop here in the Grass Wall." Rafiki arranges to say after finishes drinking. From that moment on the two of them became friends, the king and his new friend Rafiki. Together they shared stories and feelings and it comes to pass that Rafiki joins the king on his quest to find new sources of water during this harsh drought. Along the way Rafiki told of his wise ways, in the Grass Wall his troop of baboons and mandrills learned many healing and shaman ways in the caves. The caves had writings of the old forefathers, ancient creatures which existed before the Great Earthquake. Ahadi knew the tales, the Prideland didn't exist until the Great Earthquake began, the Earthquake tore holes into the world and new life was born from the ashes, the form of the Pridelands took shape from this earthquake. Ahadi's father Mohatu the first ever Lion King survived this devastating Earthquake. Like two shadows in the Pridelands Rafiki and Ahadi travelled far and wide, for many nights and days, but one journey tested their friendship to its limit.<em>

Exactly three months into their journey to find water Ahadi and Rafiki travelled up the mountains bordering the southern sun line. Beyond the mountain the sun was scarce. Travelling up the dark mountain up a small trail made of dirt and rocks the two friends reach the top peak of the southern mountains. Looking down they saw a new land undiscovered, found by Ahadi himself, he named it the: Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley was far to the south-east; Priderock was two day hike away from here now. But Ahadi with his friend were tired, hot and needed to rest, they descended down into the dark, misty valley. The mist brought a cold but refreshing breeze across their faces; the valley had several bodies of water, lakes and wide roaring rivers through jungles and tough wheat grass coloured yellow. However no water left the valley.

"This place is completely barricaded from the Pridelands, hidden here all this time." Rafiki says, he was young and could travel far. Together Ahadi and his careful friend Rafiki rest in the heart of the Valley. Rafiki shows the Lion King how he can create and change the colour of fire, creating a small controlled fire on a pit of old tree logs, the two friends sleep, but Ahadi still had the problem of getting water back to Priderock, carrying the water for two days to Priderock would be impossible, the king slowly closes his eyes and falls quickly asleep.

Panic fills Ahadi as he awakes, the fire and logs was destroyed and Rafiki was gone! Vanished, or worse, kidnapped, Ahadi must of slept straight through it, he notices there was a struggle around and a small trail of feathers leads towards the highest peak in the Sacred Valley. Ahadi immediately follows the trail running fast to save his friend. Ahadi ran through this unfamiliar land, but

_following the trail he did not get lost in the large place, along the way Ahadi meets up with a pack of cheetahs, including a small cheetah cub named Beba, she had only just been born, her eyes not yet even open, they do not recognize the king, but they point him in the right direction as the king doesn't stop for food or water, rushing his way through the misty valley he begins his long climb up the tallest mountain, harsh cliffs and cold winds batter the king, the trail of feathers had been blown away but Ahadi knew his friend Rafiki was up here, it was a one way trip upward in a spiral. Ahadi shivered, he was near the top now, the air was thin up here, higher than any creature he'd ever known, a fall from here would mean certain death. Ahadi couldn't see the valley below him now, only a sea of white mist surrounds the world below him. All this time Ahadi had bonded with the eccentric mandrill but out here Rafiki was the only friend he had, Ahadi started to care for Rafiki as soon as they'd met as he let his friend drink the last drops of water in the lake of the Grass Wall. As the thoughts cross his mind Ahadi reaches the top, the wind was ferocious and filled the Lion King's lungs with an icy bite. But surely laid there was Rafiki on the top of the flat peak, he was not moving and his body seemed almost frozen, further ahead a dark cave._

_"Rafiki!" Ahadi shouts over the roaring wind and rushes up to his friend curling around him to warm his friend. Helping Rafiki up onto his back Ahadi strolls towards the spiral path leading back down the mountain, it shouldn't be as hard to descend down the mountain. But as Ahadi walked away from the cave two red eyes open in the darkness, emerging from the cave on the top of the mountain a huge vulture with red eyes and huge wings which the creature unleashes outwards as it walks out of the cave. Giving a loud high-pitched caw the vulture spreads its massive wings; its feet had three deadly long and sharp talons._

_"Leave him," The vulture says in an unfathomable voice,  
>"Leave him, you will not survive the descend down my mountain." It repeats to Ahadi who stops, looking over his shoulder the Lion King grunts but accepts the vulture is right, he nought had enough strength to make it home. Shaking his head Ahadi suddenly realises the vulture is trying to<br>"I know who you are, King Ahadi, I know why you're here, leave your friend and save yourself, you don't need him."  
>"Who are you?" Ahadi roars angrily turning just as Rafiki's body falls to the ground, the trail of feathers belonged to this vulture; he stole Rafiki and brought him here, indisputably to eat, or worse.<br>"My name is Vaxis and you're lunch," _  
>"<em>I'm the Lion King, you cannot harm me." Ahadi immediately replies slowly backing off; but the Vulture caw's louder still and take off into the air its beady eyes fixed on the king.<em> _Ahadi realises the Sacred Valley is so far south-east it was out of the jurisdiction of the king, Ahadi had no power here. Suddenly Vaxis the Vulture swoops towards the defenceless king its large claws digging into the kings fur before Vaxis flies off disappearing into the mist leaving Ahadi to roar in pain. Vaxis was here, the king could only hear the vultures large powerful wings flapping in the mist,  
>"You cannot win!" Vaxis swoops down taking another strike at the lion.<br>"You will die now!" Another attack faster this time, Ahadi couldn't react fast enough to catch the powerful bird he resulted into only clawing the air. Vaxis swoops once more, but the king remembers something his friend Rafiki once told him about trusting your instincts and using all your senses to your advantage. With one almighty blow Ahadi unleashes clawing Vaxis his claws getting caught into the vultures venerable body, the king finds himself getting carried by the vulture across the peak of the mountain scraping his back paws against the hard rock in the process before both Vaxis and Ahadi plummet off the mountain. The silhouette of Ahadi and Vaxis falling down the side of the mountain behind the bright white mist slowly descends picking up speed, along the way down the lion and the vulture take blows against one another, slashing for eachother faces trying desperately to maim eachother. With a loud crack Ahadi lands on his back on a rocky terrace further down the mountain. It was a painful sight to see the lion fall, the king was defeated._

Far Across the Lands of Africa...

Uru back at the stormy Priderock wishes for her lovers return, praying to the Great Spirit for the safe return of her husband.  
>"Mom? Can I lay with you? A young innocent Taka tilts his head up at his reddish furred mother, Uru, surprised decides to stay.<br>"Taka, I-I was just wishing to the Great Spirit that your father return home."Taka didn't understand much he was still a cub. Uru smiles and lies down with her son, she decides to explain to him the stories she was told.  
>"The Great Spirit, she is like mother nature in a way, she is a being who watches over us my son, she guides us, protects us, and she has a plan for all of us. They said her maine was as white as an angel." Taka gasps in disbelieve he was clearly fascinated by the tale, both of them then look up brightest star in the sky.<br>"Your grandfather Mohatu once met her before the Great Earthquake. They were many creatures living before the Great Earthquake they were called: The Ancients, they are now long extinct. They say Mohatu's heart was as pure white, like snow. When Mohatu died it was the first time and only time it ever snowed in the Pridelands. They say that the snow was the tears of the Great Spirit. Mohatu is the brightest star in the sky, he was a great king. The kings of the past will look down on you from those stars long after I'm gone my son. I do hope your father returns soon." Queen Uru smiles down at Taka warmly sighing slightly. Taka cuddles up to his mother, snuggling into her fur before falling asleep. A purple coloured female hornbill named Zuzu silently sweeps down from above bowing before queen Uru, she was the kings majordomo before he disappeared, Zuzu takes a deep breath before continuing  
>"The Lion King is so brave, I've seen him go off to face many crises and dangers, he is still out there somehow I can just feel it in my feathers, the king shall return," Zuzu says as both her and Uru looking out onto the dry Pridelands full of drought and unhappiness. Uru smiles down to her friend before replying,<br>"I hope so, I hope so..."

The years rolled on... And still Ahadi never returned home...

The two friends were trapped. Vaxis had spent years tormenting Rafiki and the Lion King, never letting them leaves the Sacred Valley. Clearly Vaxis ruled here and clearly it was a mistake descending into the dimly sunlit valley. Each day Ahadi never forget his wife and two cubs, and Rafiki never forgot his fatherland. It was impossible to escape the valley you would have to climb the mountains and Vaxis would be there. The simple journey to find water has turned into a hellish survival here. Vaxis controlled all the vultures here, Vaxis had a name for himself: the nightmare vulture. Rafiki came to the conclusion that Vaxis, the nightmare vulture, knew the second they entered the valley, and he torture them so only for sport, death from above. Ahadi and Rafiki had lost hope many times but together they brought eachother new hope. But through the hard times Rafiki had noticed that the king's behaviour_ had changed so much, for the worse, he had grown very angry._

_"I accepted a challenge far beyond my calling. But I fear what else I must sacrifice to escape this place." Ahadi looks over to his friend who gives him a friendly hug of comfort in a secluded dark cave. Not only was Ahadi angry but he was broken inside, not as proud as he once was. Rafiki carved a large blue staff in a nearby tree and attached Baobab fruit to the end of it with the strong wheat grass, for years the friends assaulted Vaxis with his troop of vultures but all times failed. After seven years in the Sacred Valley, Ahadi had enough. He schemed with the cheetahs that with their excessive speed made plans to chase the nightmare vulture away. Together all the creatures in the Sacred Valley march towards the field of battle. There the a very young Beba and the cheetahs, with Ahadi fought against the vultures, the vultures swooped around in the heart of battle as the cheetahs raced around and took out their wings, Ahadi clawed Vaxis right on his beak, sending massive claw marks down the vultures face. Vaxis flew away cawing loudly but not defeated the vultures were getting the upper hand. Hope came as Rafiki swung from a Baobab tree and used his new staff to smack the vulture out of the sky, sending the vulture to tumble from the sky towards the ground smashing into the ground with a loud thud surely breaking some of its limbs on. After seven whole years, this was their chance, it seemed like forever to Ahadi and Rafiki but they quickly escaped, finally reaching the mountain without trouble. Parting ways with the cheetahs and little Beba everyone went their separate ways, they were free and they were glad to see to the sunlight once more. Both Ahadi and Rafiki were battered and bruised and almost couldn't walk, but after all they'd being through, the journey was over; they marched into the Pridelands._

And Vaxis, was never found...

Ahadi was laid in the lion's den, he looked much older and had cuts across his face and was bruised in many places. Uru was worried sick and darted to her mate's side as he coughed weakly. Both brother's look worried, lying with him now,

"Don't worry; Daddy's home," Ahadi manages to say before closing his eyes for rest. Uru looks after him, much like she did with Taka and Mufasa over the years, whatever. Some day's after Ahadi returned, so did the rain, the clouds exploded with hail and rain like never seen before, although it would be some time before the land itself repairs, the rain was most welcome to many. The Hippopotamus could finally soak in the waters, and the dodo's no longer need to conserve water. But the Lion King brought back somebody from his travels to help the Pridelands recover from these sinister times, a wise mandrill-baboon by the name of Rafiki; With a eccentric grin he joined the Pride, with a rain-dance he learned in the Sacred Valley is it said he helped bring rain once more to the Pridelands. Eight years of drought was finally over. Rafiki became a Shaman, maintaining the balance of the Circle of Life, but most of all, helping Mufasa whim the mischievous acts of his brother Taka. Taka and Mufasa had grown into teens while their father was away. As

_another average night closes in, Rafiki comments to Mufasa and Taka who were sitting nearby; discussing past events, learning for the first time about Priderock and situation here. Taka certainly didn't get along with his father or his brother. Mufasa was going to be the next king and now that the drought has ended, perhaps the various animals' can live in harmony once more. Stretches out next to him and the two swiftly fall asleep._

Later that night...

Rafiki is awakened in the middle of the night. When he opens his eyes, he comes face-to-face with a spitting snake. A large purple snake with red strips, the giant snake is poised and ready to strike, its fangs sticking outwards dangerously, "You shall not intervene!" The snake hisses. Rafiki squints realises the snake is something more. Joka the snake slivers towards Rafiki with a deadly look in its eye.

"I have plans for this world Pridelander and you shall not intervene!" Joka strikes his fangs towards Rafiki he holds his staff upwards as poisonous venom spits from Joka's fangs but only just misses the mandrill. Suddenly Mufasa jumps in and promptly claws the snake away with little effort showing how brave he can be. Giving an elongated hiss the snake quickly slivers away in defeat but not before giving an outlandish, almost friendly look at Taka...

_Joka the Snake...he was here too...___

_Shortly after his return, Ahadi's private watering hole was mysteriously poisoned; Ahadi died almost immediately, his life cut short from his mate Uru. Everyone undoubtedly held Scar responsible for this treachery. Scar claimed to be innocent, he was at the Elephant Graveyard at the time of Ahadi's death, Scar walked free, for good reason, for it wasn't Taka who killed his father, it was Joka, the purple snake with red stripes and deadly poison in his fangs_—'

**End of Episode**** II.**


	3. Malka's Final Journey

**Author: **Daggermouth

**Lion King 4**  
><strong>Chapter: III – Malka's Final Journey.<strong>

After remembering its history with Ahadi, Malka enters his home, the now peaceful Sacred Valley. Climbing down the mountain, eager to see his pride once more, Malka's pride descended directly from the cheetahs which lived here long ago, infact the cub Afua in the Dry Forest, fell in love with the little cheetah cub Beba, she grew up into the fastest cheetah and leopard hybrid the Pridelands had ever seen. Malka only had the honour of meeting them once, when it was deemed that Kopa from Priderock was gone, Malka travelled as he always does far to the north to inform the Dry Forest. Yes, the history of the Sacred Valley was one of great battles and sacrifice, but now in the present, the valley was peaceful and full of Ethiopian wolves, flamingos among other wonderful creatures who all uphold the Circle of Life. For when Vaxis was defeated the mist dispersed and the sun shone in the entire valley and as most know, all what the light touches is the king's land. Malka walks to his pride, nuzzling everyone, all with happy faces, most of them lionesses, but they were a few cubs as well, one of the lionesses was even pregnant and expecting any day now. Malka had missed much, but one thing was for sure, he was glad to be home.

Four Journeys had begun and three of them have ended, Vitani found Kivuli in the Outland while searching for Kopa, Nala returned home to Priderock and Kovu discovered Zira was still alive and planning with the hyenas in the Elephant Graveyard, but while all this was happening in the Pridelands the fourth journey with Malka in the Sacred Valley had just begun; This is the story of Malka's final journey.

It felt good to feel the grass of his home under his paws once more. Days had passed since the leader of the pride in the valley returned, and every nameless lioness was rumouring if their leader ever found his love, Tama, who is still alive someplace in the world. Regretfully their leader announced he searched literally everywhere in the savannah, the Grass Wall, the Elephant Graveyard, the Shadowland, The Sunstar Desert and Five Stones but he never found his lost love. He promised Nala that he would find her. Kopa had given him information on where he last saw Tama, but by the time Malka got the Evenstar Beach, Tama was already gone, only remnants of her and Kopa's life together on the beach remained. And now, Malka had given up all hope, he believed his love Tama had gone beyond the savannah into lands yet unknown. It's only when a young orphaned cub named Utchu pounces on the lovable Malka that he regained hope. Utchu had dark brown fur a white coloured maine and brown eyes, the happy cub approches his surrogate father.

"I can't find her Utchu; I swear I've searched everywhere I know." Malka bites the little cubs ear playfully, Utchu was like the son Malka never had, the little white pale cub looks up to his leader and smiles,  
>"Have you tried searching in the valley?" the cub says innocently. At first Malka doesn't take in the information, but then his eyes widen, his ears prick upwards, it's true, Malka had searched literally everywhere accept for the Sacred Valley, his own home! Jolting upwards and kissing the young cub on the forehead as thanks. He would have to cross the feral tiger jungle, across the muggy canyon and finally to that mountain Ahadi climbed to find Vaxis all those many decades ago, if she was anywhere, she would be there. With new optimism he rushes out, with short farewells to everyone including Utchu the small cub, Malka skipped out the leader of the pride once again leaves on his final journey.<p>

He takes slow but careful steps he enters the first hurdle upon his quest, the jungle. The jungle stretched across the entire valley in a perfect line, dividing the whole valley into two halves. Malka precedes squeezing into a gap within the many huddled together palm trees; he carefully tries not to tread on any sharp twigs in the brushwood, little pockets of sunrays shine between the taller palm trees. Aware of his surroundings the jungle was full of insect and bug sounds. Malka gives a half-hearted chuckle thinking this could be a dubious second home for Timon and Pumbaa the 'insectivores'. He made his way across the jungle, his ears alert for any out of the ordinary sounds which could mean dangers, like the distinctive cry of the bush babies. The intent lion steps through the tightly huddled trees into a large opening where the sunlight can fully shine down from as there was a hole in the canopy here. Stopping suddenly as he hears a slight growling sound...

"Oh no," Malka whispers to himself, he looks around to see tigers, everywhere, he missed them completely, the tiger's fur blended into the environment and yellowish undergrowth of the unbreakable wheat grass. The tigers were sleeping peacefully, some were growling as they took breathes and he had to step right into the middle of their group. Malka kept thinking to himself: 'don't make any loud sounds—' Snap! Malka paw steps right onto a twig which snaps immediately waking the tigers who grunt and slowly get up around him. Malka whimpers and makes a dash for it, only alerting the tigers some more. Yelling loudly as the tigers chase the poor lion, but the lion quickly out manoeuvre them by fitting through another pair of tightly huddled trees, the tiger were too big to fit through and instead clawed violently through the gap as Malka ran away. The tigers were dangerous, feral and really didn't know any better. Malka looks over his shoulder looking to see if the tigers were following him as he kept running he laughs to himself thinking it was too easy but quickly smashes his face right into a stone wall. Grunting to himself he rubs his head and maine, and looks up to see what exactly he crashed into, before him is a large stone, ancient temple. Several large rocks made up the interior. Malka is clueless to what the temple was but he knew where it came from The Ancients. The creatures which lived before the Great Earthquake, they were said to resemble great and wise beings and they were all spiritualist, The Ancients could tap into the magic of the Pridelands like none before them. The temple itself was made up of old stones thrown or rolled together into a square pyramid shape. The Great Earthquake destroyed most of The Ancients. Malka takes note of the temples location and moves onwards over the stone temple and finally out of the stretched jungle.

As the chirping sounds of the jungle soon fade out behind him, it is not long before Malka reaches the next step on his adventure: the canyon. Malka had to cross this mammoth natural groundwork, the canyon had no name as most of the part of the Sacred Valley, but he gulps as he just wonders how many lives have been claimed trying to cross it. Far below in the stone canyon are large furnaces of lava which burn and bubble. Only a log acts as a bridge between the canyons two sides. Holding a paw over the edge of the canyon Malka can feel the heat of the lava down inside. A log bridge remains to falter the lion in his adventure; he finds it almost typical that the log barely looks stable. Taking his time the lion slowly climbs up onto the raggedy log, the log slowly turns from side to side, creaking as it does. Malka slowly spreads his wait across the log, almost comically clinging to it and sliding his way across.

"Don't look down... Don't look down..." Temptation overcomes Malka as he gets a glimpse of the red burning lava below before shutting his lightly coloured brown eyes. With no vision the log rolls over, quickly Malka digs his claws into the log as it creaks around, Malka now hanging dangerously from the log, his back paws dangling into the canyon below, grunting, he could feel the heat of the lava all on his fur, almost burning him, he groans before mustering his vigour and pulling himself back up on top of the log, crawling the rest of the way before rolling off the log and onto the other side of the canyon. Breathing sighs of relief he lays on his back watching the clouds for a second, taking his time before rising up onto his paws. Malka steps onwards onto the final leg of his adventure, toward the mountain.

Malka takes the time to remember his past...

When he was just a cub, that dopey little cub with the fur on his ears and small maine, Malka always used to get lost when travelling anywhere, this is how he came to meet Simba and Nala. Along time ago when heading someplace with his mother Kilo, Malka ran off and got lost in the Pridelands. Simba found him and together the two of them played. Malka was reluctant to admit to his problem, but eventually his mother Kilo came to collect her son, Malka, Simba and Nala were best friends from then on but Malka never heard of the end of the time he got lost in the Pridelands. Back then it was a happier time, when the Pridelands were peaceful and undisturbed.

Malka suddenly snaps out of his thoughts from the past as he reaches the foot of the mountain. Looking up at the huge mountain stretching up into the sky he wonders as to just how Ahadi climbed the mountain it was so steep and tall. The mountain used to be covered in cold mist and icy winds, but now the Sacred Valley was more peaceful and the climate was warmer, Malka steps forward to begin his climb. Minutes pass into hours and the sun starts to set on the horizon smouldering the sky red as it always does, but this doesn't falter him, he continues to march up the mountain, however steeps, whatever obstacles got in his way, he wasn't going to stop, he'd come too far to stop now. Finally the moment came he reached the flat peak of the mountain, walking the same Ahadi did, Malka is here. The air was only bitterly cold, not enough to harm or to shiver, stepping forward Malka makes his way towards the cave for the moment of truth, wondering just what he would say if he saw her again, poking his head inside the dark cave with a grin on his maw he steps inside. Squinting his eyes to disappointment, the cave is vacant, only traces of its past owner remains, Malka's heart sinks his smile wipes from his face, hanging his head low Malka walks out of the cave, he squints his eyes again but miserably this time. But then as he raises his head he hears the sound of pawprints coming up the mountain infront of the dazzling sunset Malka disappointment turns to one of delight, coming around the corner and up onto the peak, she arrives. She was beautiful, a golden-haired fur coat, a happy smile and clean composure, her stunning brown eyes and a small tuff of hair on the top of her head: Tama. Behind the sunset she seemed even more beautiful, she smiles almost nervously and Malka in amazement stares.

"A-am I dreaming?" Malka stutters vaguely gazing upon Tama, whom he'd never seen in so long.  
>"Come here you," Tama rushes toward her love, as the two of them meet in the middle under the blazing yellow sun, purring and nuzzling eachother warmly, her fur was soft and almost heavenly as they embraced eachother. They had waited so long for this moment, together they nestle within eachother fur, both smiling lovingly Finally Malka can complete those words he failed to finish as a cub all those years ago in the Daggermouth Gorge:<br>"I love you, I, love you!"  
>"Isn't it great?" Tama chuckles nuzzling him deeper a solitary tear of happiness rushing down her cheek. Feeling contentment for the first time in years, Tama gazes lovingly into Malka's lightly coloured brown eyes.<br>"You haven't changed a bit," she laughs happily beneath her tears, Tama looks upon the adult Malka for the first time, the tuffs of fur on top of both his ears, his maine which was two different colours: black with highlights of light brown. Both of them have so many questions, but for now, Malka was overwhelmed and blissful, he had found his love, he had found Tama.

Walking together in unison back down the mountain and across the raggedy log, together they cross the canyon with little effort, it was as if they gave eachother the strength to carry on but perhaps that is what real love is, neither one wanted to leave the others side ever again, it was time to ask the burning question "What's happened to you for all this time Tama?" Malka asks seriously, asking the question so many have wondered. Tama takes a deep breath in and starts from the very beginning—'

'— _The rushing waves of the water was surrounding the eight cubs hanging in the thin tree within the Daggermouth Gorge, "Nala! Don't leave me!" the cub Tama shouts from the other side. As Nala watches Simba try to pull Mheetu up, he's just not strong enough to lift the cub. Nala is faced with an impossible choice. She can save Mheetu and watch her friend Tama fall into the water to be swept away. Or she can lose Mheetu, her only brother. As time for her seems to slow down as she decides who to save. The other four cubs on the stable tree, Chumvi, Tojo, Kula and especially Malka all watch as Nala rushes back to help Mheetu. Tama screams as her tree gives way. She falls with it into the unforgiving waters.  
>Tama falls into the cold water, frightened she tries to clambers back onto the tree but by now the waters was dragging here away from her friends, it's almost as if the water was pushing her down into its cold depth, Tama only manages to keep her head above the water, as she is dragged away she can only her the voice of Malka screaming "Nooooo!" parts of the tree Tama was swept away with slowly drift past her, Tama grabs onto to them to keep herself afloat, afraid and alone, her friends were gone so suddenly, not even their cries could be heard now, Tama clings onto the tree branch for dear life, her fur was dirtied by the water and broken logs, before quickly from shock the young cub passes out.<em>

_In the warmth of the savannah a newly formed tide covered with thick broken logs presents itself on a rocky coast. In the coastal waves a figure of a cub is washed away with the tide. With no strength to raise her legs she crawls out of the water and trundles further onto the coast. The strong waves trying to haul her back into the rushing river she came down from. The cub almost reached the end of her life when swept down the Daggermouth gorge when the dam broke. Tama wakens slowly, cold and afraid, the air here was silent accept for the peaceful waves on the beach. Her initial thoughts were shock and then amazement at being still alive. She shakes her golden furred body to release the water and only then she does look up at the horizon and stare at Priderock still standing strong in the distance, it was a mere dot on the horizon, so far away. And then Tama began to feel anger, Nala didn't save her; she saved her brother Mheetu instead. Tama had an impossible choice to face for one so young, she could return home and things between her, her friends and Nala would never be the same again, or she could stay here on the beach and out of spite vow never to return home. Then Tama remembers the brave cub named Malka, he was so sweet to her and caring. Whimpering but almost uninjured from her ordeal the young female cub decides to just rest on the beach for awhile, even if it was selfish, she didn't feel she could return yet, for now she just needed, rest._

_Tama eventually got afraid, scared and too upset to return to Priderock. In a way she was just running from her past, but poor cub had never experienced such terror before. She ran away with herself, she didn't ever return, but not for selfish reasons any more, for reasons she couldn't control. In a way she does just what Simba would do in the Oasis in the years which would follow after Mufasa's death. But she wanted to forget her past; she felt the world was against her for some untrue explanation, besides Tama had never really liked Simba, she thought him to be cocky and almost arrogant. Tama created many different reasons to justify staying on the Beach. She was truly and sadly lost_—'

Suddenly Tama stops, her voice similar to that of Vitani stutters, Malka immediately comforts her understanding it must be difficult to reminiscing and he apologizes, but he soon realises that is not the problem, he turns to look behind him and gasps to the sight of thick smoke in the distance, a monster of smoke hurls up from just beyond the jungle. Together the mates rush off through the jungle past The Ancients temple and making slight work of the various huddled trees, only Malka realises the jungle is strangely quiet, the chirping insects have stopped, all life seems to of gone, however, neither one of the mates stop until reaching the other side. Both stare in disbelieve the fire burning in the reflection of their eyes.

"No..." Malka whimpers, the pride was under attack, the fire raged from the general direction of Malka's own pride, roaring loudly Malka runs forward down further in the valley, along with Tama he reaches the pride in desperation, the fires burn brightly everywhere, but investigating further Malka realises, everyone is dead, all around him his pride lay lifeless,  
>"My pride!" he screams in throbbing pain as Tama comes up behind him she closes a nearby lionesses eyes with her eye as she does she notices sickly posture and all the colour had gone from her face,<br>"They've been poisoned," Tama says sorrowfully wishing it wasn't so and worrying for her mates safety as the fires burn around them both in a circle. Malka shakes his head in utter sadness and snarling slightly before spotting Utchu laid before him, his heart sinks furthermore than ever.  
>"Even the cubs..." Malka weeps bowing his head down to nudge the little Utchu, hoping he'll spark into life again but it's to no avail, Utchu was always full of energy and life, but now he laid his maw wide open in shock and horror. Neither one of the mares could find the words to react the sheer horror around them but no words came. Malka mumbles sadly almost stuck in a frozen moment, not one member of his pride was still alive. Very slowly and almost instinctively he turns his head over his left shoulder, for through the thick black smoke shine two red piercing red eyes. A venomous snake was watching the devastation as if it was a victory, he snarled down from the hill he was on, his eyes glare from behind the smoke. It was Joka. Snarling Malka breathes heavily and quickly in rage clenching his paws and drawing his claws he recognising the snake. Gritting his teeth he slowly and menacingly walks towards the killer snake, each step the strong lion takes towards the snake he digs his claws into the dirt in great anger, he has a killing look in his eye, he wanted vengeance. It's only at this moment he feels a soft fur paw hold him back, Malka grunts as the pas holds him back, stopping him from fighting the snake.<br>"Tama, what are you doing?" Malka looks back to his love wondering why she's holding him back, why is she stopping him from fighting the snake?  
>"A kind heart knows when the battle should be fought," she says gently and hugs him forcefully, as they hug Malka can only watch as Joka smiles deviously and suddenly disappears in a blink of an eye behind the flames. All the rage and hate from Malka gets drained from him as he embraces his love once more. In his anger he almost forgets Tama and now he only feels foolish. "Make no mistake; Joka murdered the pride," Tama says. Malka suddenly wonders how his mate knew the snakes name, Malka begins to doubt Tama's loyalty to the Pridelands and mayhap she might be working for the snake. Worrying greatly Tama tries to calm her mate down, they'd just found eachother and she wasn't going to let him go to unwisely attack a clearly powerful snake on his own. Thinking factually and carefully Malka suddenly realises the water supply of the entire Sacred Valley is poisoned, it was the only way he could of killed so many in such little time, now Malka realises why the jungle was so quiet on their return here, all the Sacred Valley was poisoned! Piecing everything together Malka thinks harder than ever before, and it starts making sense to him now, he turns to Tama a look of deep anxiety on his already worried idiom. Malka remembers all about Ahadi the past Lion King and how Ahadi was mysteriously—<p>

"But that means, no, Tama, this is greater than any of us now, Joka, that damned snake, he killed my pride, he was the one who poisoned Ahadi! It all makes sense, he is a venomous snake; oh Tama, we have to warn Priderock; we are all in danger!"

The Sacred Valley is lost...

**End of Episode** **III.**


	4. The Fate of Afua and Beba

**Author: **Daggermouth

**Lion King 4**  
><strong>Chapter: IV – The Fate of Afua and Beba.<strong>

Back after the war at Priderock, the several days of anguish and recovery has passed, Kula and Chumvi had gained the information which could save their home from glacial disaster, ironic how an ordinarily occupied forest can freeze in the hottest of times ever known in the savannah. Chumvi and Kula pad into the northern lands together, at Priderock they fought the hyenas which invaded their friends home, and it had affected them both in various ways. Chumvi felt stronger, he was always daring his friends on misadventures but never himself afraid to take on new challenges, but even had knocked Chumvi's confidence slightly, never before had he defended his love Kula like he did, the spiteful hyenas always attack the weak first and Kula had never fought before in her life, she is a pacifist, never fighting against everything, she never needed to hunt as Chumvi delivered the food most evenings, Kula loved to eat, infact her thoughts were usually about food. But now their home far to the north named the Dry Forest, but it now it was no longer dry and hot, it was frozen, a strange mist appeared over one night and suddenly the forest became cold, the mist had an icy bite to it, the mist must have been enormously powerful to do such a thing. Along the way as they approach their home, they keep comforting eachother, showing affection and supporting one another, but as they'll discover, their problems are just beginning. Approximately halfway away from Priderock Kula was glad to see Kopa whom she and her relatives thought was gone forever. She grimly remembers getting the news that Kopa had died—'**  
><strong>  
>'—<em>In times when the two mates had just settled down, they had just moved away from Priderock to the Dry Forest along with Afua and Beba, this was their new home, the four of them together in a beautiful jungle and forest with food galore. A strange young adult lion approaches them; he has tuff of hair on both his ears and a lions maine of two colours. It was Malka. He delivers the grave news to the couple laid in their home. With a sad face Kula calls over their adolescent son to give him the bad news. The younger cub sits himself down next to between his two parents who care for him very much.<em>

_"My darling cub I've just heard a sad story about your friend named Kopa. He is now one of the many stars you can see in the sky he is watching over his family now." They look up at the night sky beaming with hundreds of twinkling stars. Kula's son was rather grown for his age, he was no longer a cub but he had never experienced death before and he was wondering if his friend Kopa would ever come back. Their son looks up at his parents he utters just one word: _

_"Forever?" Just as a flock of small blue birds flutter past them distracting Kula for a second she turns to look down on her son to reply:  
>"Yes, Forever<em>—'_  
><em>  
>After their lengthy journey home...<p>

Chumvi uses his sturdy lion shoulder to crash into some ice in a feeble attempt to break it. Gasping when she saw what was before them Kula realises the full outside devastation of their once beautiful homeland.

"We shouldn't have left them alone," She instantly regrets leaving her home behind while Chumvi takes another running strike against the ice. For surrounding the Dry Forest was a huge thick ice wall encasing the forest in a circle, the solid barrier was made of seemingly impenetrable black ice; it stretched higher than anything either of them had ever seen before.

"Afua! Beba!" Kula calls out shouting upwards and hoping for a reply upwards, wishing her voice would carry over the wall, she runs up and down the length the wall of ice noticing it never ended either way. They started to feel full of remorse and neither of them could even enter their home or see inside, presumably their friends Afua and Beba were still trapped inside, Kula cries out again and she begins creating little stories in her head of the worst scenarios, wondering how some apparently harmless and unfriendly mist could do this, not even she thought this would happen, she begins to openly panic.

"Kula, calm yourself, your worrying will only destroy you," Chumvi says wisely and calmly, he draws his claws, dragging his paws down the white coloured ice carving little lines into the ice, he takes a few large steps back and charges at the wall, colliding with the ice and smashing through it like glass, Chumvi flies through the ice and lands on the opposite side before rolling above onto his front, his claws had weakened the ice. Kula rushes through the small gap as she does she could feel the cold bite of the air. Everything in the Dry Forest was still; inside nothing can escape nature's fury, the palm trees and the jungle was all frozen into crystal ice, it was truly a magnificent sight. everything was either frozen or melting. The mist had passed but their home was utterly destroyed. Silently Kula walks into the Dry Forest before helping her mate up onto his paws. The mist had passed; the ice was starting to slowly melt in the renowned savannah sun.

"Stay close to me," Kula says taking charge as she spoke she could see her warm breathe in the air, luckily Kula had a large thick fur coat more than most of the lionesses in the Pridelands she can keep her mate warm while they search for their old friends. Both of the yell the names of their friends, Afua and Beba, the mates head to the most likely of places, the den in the mountain above the once peaceful woodland and jungles. Huddling close together for warmth they march upwards on the trail towards their mountain, finally reaching their cave home, the enter the dark cave, it was strangely warmer within the den and laid in the back of the cave were Afua and Beba, cuddling together, they probably feared the worst and accepted their fate together in the cave. Suddenly jumping up both of them smile to know they're saved; it's only at this moment Chumvi and Kula notice the full extent of their friends struggle here. Afua, who always strands with his paws facing outwards had scares all across his face and Beba's spotted fur was covered in dirt.

"W-we thought you weren't coming, we were trapped here when the wall appeared, and were prepared to die, all the food is gone, we had to fight to survive as the other animals panicked and became enraged." Beba explains and sighs gloomily as she gets up off the ground, their struggle was finished. Wasting no time, the four of them make haste toward the exit. Beba leads the four now as she is the fastest, but no quicker had they started walking until a whole fragile tree falls apart around Afua, the tree shattering like glass into millions of pieces, but Afua acts quickly shielding his face with front paw. But he gasps suddenly and feels harsh stinging pains, he was bleeding, a shard of sharp ice had fallen and had pierced his face, right behind his ear, trying not to collapse to the ground in shock he whimpers a cry of help from behind everyone else who immediately turn to rush to their friend's aid. It was only a minor wound but still if it went untreated it could get infected or worse, Afua could lose his entire right ear. The lion groans in pain he could only hear the constant ringing pains in his ear but understanding the situation he nods to everyone to continue as the brave lion holds his right ear as a few scarce drops of lifeblood drip from the wound.

Moments After...

When everyone is safe back beyond the wall which encased the forest Chumvi decides rashly to go back inside to find the source of all the devastation. He had travelled to Priderock for a reason, the information he had from Simba was invaluable and he was not going to waste it. Travelling alone would be the safer option, and besides, Chumvi could look after himself. Knowing inside himself he wasn't coming back out until he finds the source of the mist and the heart of the destruction and he knew exactly where to go. With the forest destroyed, all Chumvi had to do was avoid getting the shards of glass stuck in his vulnerable paws, without his mates warm fur coat the lion shivered slightly, each breathe he took only served to fill his lung with cold air. Most of the danger was already over, with little effort the adventurous and daring lion in an act of desperation break's the cave entrance which they couldn't get into before. He breaks the large stone wall which previously blocked them from proceeding. his sore shoulder taking another round of beatings. Before they couldn't go any further but now the path was frozen it could be broken easier. Heading down underground like his friend Simba told him to. The cave was well lit from above and very cold; it was full of stalagmites and stalactites hanging from the ceiling and protruding from out the ground. It's not long before he discovers the mist is coming from a series of frozen lakes underground. A large cavern is connected to a series of many tunnels running underneath not just the Dry Forest, but the lion realises these tunnels go underneath the entire Pridelands! The underground lakes had been tampered with in some way someone had done something to freeze them and create the mist which then rose up into the Dry Forest. The cave were eerie and empty accept Chumvi finds a clue next to one of the lakes, there is a small pool of poisonous venom next to one of the underground lakes. There was nothing he could've done to prevent this Chumvi heads back up to mate and friends, ice is forming on the trees and when all four of them realise there's nothing more they can do to save their homeland and with Afua injured they couldn't stay here any longer without food, water or warm shelter. Planning their next move it seems the only option is to return to Priderock but Afua is sceptical about this option. Taking the moment in his stride Afua decides to disclose something personal about himself:

"Everyone there is something you need to know about me." The lion pauses taking a deep breath before continuing  
>"I am a Knight." Afua reveals. Beba is the most shocked, all this time she thought she knew her mate but Afua is a Knight.<br>"A Knight? Afua what have you gotten yourself into?" Beba places her head underneath that of her mates for comfort. The Knights were not welcomed in the Pridelands, and this explains why Afua is sceptical about returning there. Nobody knew truly who the Knights were because they never openly spoke about them, they were hundreds of stories about them and some say the Knights are related to the blue birds which are seen mysteriously flocking around the Pridelands in times of trouble or misadventure. The Knight's headquarters is called Vulcan Rock; it's a monument which rivals that of Priderock in enormity. But Afua reveals nothing more about the troop he is in. If his friends return to Priderock his true identity must remain a secret. It had been a long day for them all so saying nothing to eachother Chumvi, Kula, Afua and Beba all have to hastily begin their final trip back to Priderock. When everyone is walking back away from the Dry Forest, from a fair distance away perched on a hill far from the forest getting a wide view of below the purple snake Joka watches intently. His red snake eyes scanning their every move, and his small ears listening to their conversation in particular he looks at the spotted cheetah with the white maine. The white maine reminds the snake of the Great Spirit who had a whine maine of an angel. Beba was much older than Malka as she was born during Ahadi's reign, she even had the pleasure of meeting the king in the Sacred Valley, Joka knew everything about the cheetah, the snake thinks to himself its only then he gets a revelation of the adult cheetah below, hazy images emerge in the snakes head, Joka was gifted with the power of second sight, and just now he was revealed more of the future to come: "Soon little Beba you will run from Afua and the Knights, and you'll have to run faster than you've ever run before! Hisss!" Joka the snake talks to himself hissing threateningly, his words revealing more of the future yet to come. The poisonous snake Joka unexpectedly begins burying his way underground to quickly depart the area.

The Dry Forest is lost...

**End of Episode** **IV.**


	5. Danger at the Oasis

**Author: **Daggermouth

****Lion King 4**  
>Chapter: V<em> – <em>**_**Danger at the Oasis.**_

"You need to learn when not to swing in the jungle vines," Ma said sympathetically rubbing a meerkats arm, the poor meerkat had just fallen from the highest treetop. Apologetically the youngster rushes after being seen to. Giving a deep sigh Timon's mother named Ma, moves herself to sit on a large terrace overlooking most of the Oasis; she was kind and caring to all the meerkats, especially the younglings, like a mother to them all. The meerkats made this jungle their home, it was discovered by Timon and Pumbaa many years ago and they have all lived here in harmony for the years that followed. The Oasis sat in the centre of the Sunstar Desert so it frequently gets visitors who either lost their way in the desert or are just passing through to rest here in the perfect haven, anyone living here quickly take advantage of its perfect ecosystem. Minding her own business and humming lightly to herself, for many years now they have grown, learned and lived here Ma ponders for just how long their perfect ecosystem would last, Ma remembers before in the Oasis that a strange slivering snake attacked Max, Timon's Uncle, just so it could deliver a warning to them all, nobody understood that warning and none of the meerkats have seen Timon or his warthog friend since he left the Oasis to warn Priderock, although it pained her to do so, Ma realised she was very overprotective of her son and didn't worry too much for she knew Priderock was the safest place in all the Pridelands. Max had long since recovered from the snake's deadly attack and Ma heads off away from the terrace to go and see him. Ma bides her time she heads further down into the jungle still humming a memorable melody to meet the others. The meerkats were good at digging so across the Oasis the meerkats had dug an entire labyrinth of complex tunnels, they have had years to perfect the art and regularly they snooze inside the dens they create underground. Just recently however Max had discovered that they larger tunnels running underneath the entire Pridelands. They served as the Pridelands foundations, and this is the reason Ma is heading to see the others, a meeting had been declared to discuss the newly discovered tunnels. Blissfully feeling a sense of security Ma walks through the Oasis without trouble, they were the occasional hungry animals which hunt in the Oasis, but the meerkats were always on guard, there attuned senses a quick head movements able to detect danger and cry out if anything alerts them. But the creature following Ma had found a blind spot, it was quick to hide among the many large bushes of the Oasis, the undergrowth was the perfect hiding place, it runs hastily ahead of Ma still unseen, it jumps out of the bush and right infront of Ma, blocking her path. With a quick yelp Ma falls backwards looking up at the creature with fearful eyes, it was a very old grey furred Ethiopian wolf, with bright sea coloured blue eyes which looked down at her; the wolves' eyes seemed kind

"Be still, I mean you no harm," the wolf says with an old deep voice trying not to scare Ma anymore than she already is.  
>"What do you want with me?" Ma says but is surprised to see the wolf helping her up onto her small dainty golden paws.<br>"Forgive me for my intrusion but please head my words, my name is Unwami Sheppard—" As the wolf speaks kindly the Ma she realises the larger wolf is injured, his back right leg was wounded slightly and if anything she was good at mothering creatures back to full health. She rushes off the nearby path to collect a dotted leaf as he carefully sits down,

"Please little meerkat we do not have time to delay," The wolf pauses and grunts in pain as Ma places the leaf on the wolves' leg, Ma instructs the wolf not to put much weight on his back paw or leg she them wraps the leg up with some nearby grass carefully bandaging Unwami's.

"Something is heading here to tear down this entire oasis; my words are you must run from this place, if you go now you may just save everyone." Unwami speaks with grave seriousness. Ma understand the urgency of the situation, this was the second warning she had heard for a time, this time it was her chance to warn her friends and the other meerkats.  
>"Lets go, I'm going to a meeting the meerkat leaders now, you can tell everyone there," Ma singles the elder wolf to follow her as she jogs down the path toward the meeting place, but she stops as Unwami shakes his head<br>"Alas, I cannot go, for my presence would serve to only panic your species. My words rest on your shoulders alone." Unwami nods before darting off while not putting pressure on his wounded leg, Ma wastes no time and rushes down the path towards the waterfall where the meeting will begin.

Outside of the Oasis, gusts of desert winds spin violently, small cyclones of sand twirl in the Sunstar Desert. Walking tirelessly through the biggest desert in all the Pridelands, a small bat-eared fox, she growls as the heavy winds bash against her light fur, she had dark patched of fur on the tips of her ears and bushy tail; she had blue eyes which squinted to avoid getting dust in her eyes as she walked. The blazing sun seemed extra powerful in the sandy desert, every step she took the heated sand burned her four paws but she continued nevertheless, she had orders to complete. She snarled and pondered as to why she always got the harder jobs to complete. Her gaze was fixated upon the large Oasis in the distance, she wasn't far from it now, she grins her white teeth the bat-eared fox gives slight nervous giggle as she continues onwards through the harsh desert. It is not long before she marching right into the Oasis, the smell of fresh grass fills the air, the bat-eared fox grins before heading inside to complete her duty.

The huge waterfall of the Oasis blast gallons of water into the lake, gathered around the lake were the two of the three leaders of the meerkats troop. Sat at the front of the waterfall was the leader of the troop named Buzz, he is said to be the greatest meerkat which ever lived. One dark fateful night when a group of grey hyenas were digging up the dens, Buzz was said to of took on three hyenas all by himself, but he was almost eaten when the rest of the hyena pack, it was said in rhyme he became a hyena snack, but magically Buzz survived, while in the jaws of a hyena he escaped but never found the meerkats again until he stumbled by chance at the Oasis. Buzz still bares the scares of his encounter which he will keep all his life; he wears a makeshift eye patch and he is rather eccentric now. Next to him sat Timon's Uncle Max who became a leader after Scar was defeated at Priderock, the pessimistic meerkat taps his foot paw waiting for his sister Ma. Quickly enough she came running down towards the waterfall as fast as she could, stopping just before falling into the lake she places her hands on her knees and takes a few deep breathes,

"Well it's about time," Uncle Max complains still tapping his foot paw impatiently,  
>"You guys have to listen to me, we're in danger here," Ma blurts out and explains her encounter with the grey furred wolf.<br>"Wait, look there!" Buzz suddenly interrupts with his wheezing voice and quickly points with his small finger in the distance. Uncle Max and Ma both turn to look simultaneously seeing the danger, smoke in the distance, black smoke suggesting a fire has broken out in the Oasis. Ma mumbles under her breathe, knowing its starting.  
>"We get to everyone out of here, now!" She orders, as the three leader's spring into action, Uncle Max immediately digs down into the tunnels, shouting at the top of his voice, but he only serves to panic the meerkats, as everyone rushes around, digging upwards, the younglings stay with their mothers.<p>

"Everyone go with Buzz, he will lead you out!" Ma greets everyone as they reach the surface of the Oasis, pointing everyone into theright directions and looking nervously on the horizon as the smoke grows thicker with every fleeting moment, without knowing much herself she helps the younglings who are inexperienced in digging out into the open, together the ones who dug to the surface first now follow in a line as Buzz leads the way out of the Oasis in the quickest route possible. Digging underground Uncle Max looks up one of the larger tunnels to see his sister,  
>"Get out of here!" He shouts up at Ma,<br>"I'm not leaving anyone behind!" She shouts back directing another meerkat towards the group. Most of the meerkats were calling out, alerting the others to escape. While helping everyone Ma remembers the grey wolfs words just moment before but Ma wonders how the wolf knew this would happen. Unwami was right.

Unwami himself runs through the many forests of the Oasis, with lightning speed he dodges the many trees and their lower branches. He approaches the edge of the fire, the raging red flames were consuming everything and the tree's and other foliage were quickly burning and only serving as fuel for the fiery monster. It spread quickly, the canopy of trees burned above the grey wolf as entire burning branches fell around him. The smoke was quickly filling the elder wolves lungs, any creatures trapped in the heart of the fire were surely goners. Unwami was looking something or rather someone. He bravely jumps over a burning branch and into the heart of the fire. Flames raged around him but the Ethiopian wolf was quick, he didn't let the flames touch his fur, he kept his head down to avoid the thick smoke. He pounces up onto an untouched tree and up higher and higher from tree to tree until he reaches the very top of the highest canopy, looking around he can see the devastation below, although most of the Oasis was hidden under a sea of black smoke below. Looking around frantically, he couldn't stop the fire but he could stop who started it, it was the same creature that wounded his back leg. But funnily enough, she finds him.

"Unwami!" The bat-eared fox yells, the elder wolf turns and growls lowly to see his nemesis.  
>"Bhat! Why are you working for the snake! You're better than this!" Unwami shouts over the sound of the roaring flames below them both.<br>"Because it's fun, silly!" Bhat mumbles she is holding a fiery tree branch in her mouth; she chucks it to one side letting it fall below the canopy and into the flames below.  
>"I love fire," She giggles and winks at the elder wolf which only serves to anger him. Suddenly the two old rivals rush toward eachother, all their claws drawn. They meet together in the middle of the canopy both of the creatures clawing at eachother, Bhat growling loudly, with a snort she bites the elder wolfs neck with her sharp fox teeth, Unwami struggles to fight the fox, she was quick and agile, another strike, this time Bhat's sharp claws scratch the wolfs face.<br>"I should've finished the last time we fought, but alas, I only wounded your leg," Bhat snarls pushing the weaker and older Unwami closer to the edge of the canopy. With a loud battle cry Unwami springs into action kicking the female fox off him.  
>"It's rude to hit a girl you know?" Bhat teases before the two meet in the middle again, this time Unwami strikes first trying not to fall into the flames below as the fire makes it way up higher and higher, striking Bhat's body lightly. The female fox grunts only slightly in pain as she quickly jumps over the wolf and behind him and she claws Unwami's already wounded leg causes his makeshift bandage to fall off. Suddenly both of them stop fighting as the canopy begins to crack beneath them, the trees start to crumble the fire causes them to shake and snap. Unwami deals the final blow grabbing Bhat as the tree they're on break beneath them and they twist while falling into the flames below.<p>

Ma and Uncle Max run for their lives as the Oasis burns down around them, losing their home was the last of their worries, Ma was carrying a small baby meerkat in her arms as she runs, the fire was too quick for the small creatures, smoke engulfs the area around them making it impossible to see anything, Uncle Max leads the way brushing a nearby large bush out of the way, looking in all directions to see flames. They had lingered too long helping the others and became trapped themselves.  
>"Max, what do we do now?" Ma looks over to her brother worryingly. But now even Max had no idea what do to, he suddenly realises they were going to die here. But then he suddenly feels so stupid, they had forgotten their roots, they can dig! Together Max, Ma and the little baby she carries dig underground just in time as a large tree collapses above them. Digging through the ground in the claustrophobic tunnels Max digs for his life, the roaring flames could still be heard above, they couldn't stay underground for long for worry of suffocation, Max digs until the flames above seem less noisy and powerful, emerging with Ma who follows they arrive above ground in the Sunstar desert. Brushing through the sand they have made it. Both of gather their thoughts and breathe heavily before looking back at their home, now the entire Oasis was completely engulfed with deadly flames. It had taken just minutes for their home to burn, the once green and lush Oasis now burning brightly with dazzling red and yellow flames.<p>

"What happened to Buzz, where are the others?" Ma says looking frantically around holding the baby meerkat in her arms tightly,  
>"They...They must have got trapped." Max says with great sadness. The two siblings stood silently side by side with only the crackling burning of wood was all what could be heard. The thick smoke rose up into the blue sky like nothing before seen. The beauty of the Oasis was gone, the waterfall no longer ran, everything the meerkats knew as a home was gone. While watching their home burn there was a sudden familiar grunt of a wolf. Ma turned to see Unwami seriously wounded she rushes towards the larger creature as he collapses in the sand infront of her.<br>"I've failed you little meerkat, Bhat got away, she did this, the meerkats, she killed them. You must listen now, there is a dark lioness, she is named Solta and her fur is extraordinarily grey in colour from being in the Shadowland. You must find her because... because she knows the key to saving the Pridelands from the snake." Unwami lays there for a moment, coughing slightly; his fur was burned off in some places. Unwami slowly shuts his blue faded eyes, the burning flames of the Oasis was the last thing he could see.

The Oasis is lost...

**End of Episode** **V.**


	6. The Knights at Vulcan Rock

**Author: **Daggermouth

****Lion King 4****  
><strong>Chapter: VI –<em>The Knights at Vulcan Rock. <em>**

Vulcan Rock, situated to the furthest south border of the Prideland, is a circular monument of black rock which stands almost as high as Priderock, the rock itself was jagged and blunt spikes perturbed out from the main structure. It stood near the Outland situated close the southern mountains. The surroundings of Vulcan Rock were barren, even more dry and desolate than the Outland but the unique thing about Vulcan Rock is that inside its many caves are underground lakes. They were cold to touch but around these underground lakes plants and other foliage grew around them. It seemed like a black rocky tower on the horizon to the hornbill Zazu as he flies his merry little way above the filthy Outland. But for once he was nought on the king's duties; this trip was rather more of a personal visit, for you see Vulcan Rock is Zazu's home, the many hornbills had perched and made their nests in the top most parts of Vulcan Rock the blunt spikes extruding outwards from the tall rock were the perfect shape for the hornbills nests, the Outland served as a great place to get the twigs and sticks need to create the nest and food was plentiful in the cave below ground there was no need to hunt this far south, the only creatures which reside in the Outland now were the Ethiopian Wolves and they obeyed the Circle of Life in all its splendour, never killing for sport, only to ever feed. The constant dusty hazy full of grit of sand served as the perfect protection from the sun which was rather dim in the daylight sky. Zazu swoops downward slightly to catch the stream of wind below and he thinks back to Priderock, while Simba finally has his family together his Pride was devastated, but like all things Priderock has its way of recovering as with the magic and magnificence of the Pridelands. 'But rather better to look to the future rather than the past' Zazu always thought to himself, Zazu remembers the time Mufasa once saved him from Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, who were trying to cook him in the ''birdie boiler'', it was Mufasa's first act of kindness to the hornbill, and that moment in their lives sealed how loyal they were to eachother. His mother Zuzu was the first hornbill to take the role of the kings majordomo, she helped the king Ahadi until his last breathe, it was during Mufasa's coronation that Zazu took over from his mothers role, she retired to Vulcan Rock and whenever Zazu has the free time he flies to visit her regularly just like he is now as he sores leisurely towards the south. The kings majordomo had seen most of the Pridelands history and had recorded most of it but alas only in his mind, the hornbill quickly snaps out of his deep thought as he now approaches Vulcan Rock, flapping his wings upwards to make his decent down to see his mother Zuzu, she was slightly bigger than her son but almost exactly alike with purple wings and lengthy eyelashes. No sooner than his claws touched the rock did he realise something was wrong, Zuzu and the rest of the hornbills looked as if they were about to leave,

"What the devil is going on?" Zazu asks his own mother who was flustering her wings.  
>"The lakes have dried up, the lakes have dried up!" Another hornbill screeches while flying in a circular motion around Vulcan Rock. While the hornbills get reacquainted another species living in Vulcan Rock seem to be moving around below.<p>

This black rocky tower did not only serve as a home for the hornbills but it was also the home of The Knights. While the hornbills settled above in the various terraces The Knight made their home in the caves below, inside the structure were an elaborate set of hand crafted tunnels and stairs leading up to the various levels. Several lions are bustling around their home in the caves on the ground level, lead by a pale lion, he has flaky fur with a slight golden tint, his fur was dirty and this was the rouge lion Ni. Ni was feeling sorry for himself, laid in Vulcan Rock his tail bashing against the rock in detest, the rouge lion had being here ever since he left Priderock when Kopa returned. The Knight's were not welcomed in the Pridelands and it's for that very reason they remain on the borders of the southern Outland. The Knight's were a large group of many rouge lions, there duty was to secretly serve and protect the Pridelands while at the same time remaining unseen and undetected. Mufasa was the first king to create this law and Ni was the first Knight to break it by helping his best friend Nala during her son, the successor's untimely return. It is true that The Knights have secretly saved the Pridelands more than times than any creature can count. Ignoring the hassle around him Ni lays quite content with himself, The Knights were many, but the news that the lakes below ground have dried up is causing havoc. Suddenly Vulcan Rock ominously shakes, dust particles from the roof of Ni's cave and onto his already dusty fur but the rouge lion just shrugs it off, During the hassle a younger nameless lion Knight approaches the unwashed Ni lying in the shadows of Vulcan Rock.

"Hey Ni, you've seen our leader right? What's he like?" The young lion tilts his head in confusion; the mysterious leader of The Knights has never shown himself not even to his own colony. Ni looks up at the young lion with a depressed look,  
>"You shouldn't be talking to me young one, I broke the first law," Ni sighs but continues, he felt obligated to answer the youngling's question,<br>"Whenever you see bird blues, he'll be there," the rouge lion answers before turning away as the younger adolescent lion jogs down to below ground. Suddenly Ni's ears perk upwards as he hears the hornbills flocking away with loud screeches, he rushes to the entrance of his cave and looks out to see them all flying away in a triangle formation lead by the chief majordomo Zazu and presumably heading to Priderock. Suddenly another shake of Vulcan Rock this time more violent, enough to make Ni almost fall off his paws. This reminded the rouge lion he had a duty to complete; he rushes off down a long sunlit tunnel towards the lower levels where the lakes are presided.

Ni was alone, the caverns beneath Vulcan Rock were dusty and cold, there were several openings above ground where the friendly hornbills would swoop down to get water from the lakes and collect their share of the food which grew around the water's edge, it was a closed ecosystem, the water fed the plants, the cave served as a greenhouse to keep the plants growing, it was like an underground sanctuary. Carefully treading down in the cavern where several worried nameless lions and lioness gather around the dried up lake, one of the lions holding a dead plant in his hand, Ni approaches as one of the elder lions he investigates the problem and steps forward to talk to his fellow Knights.

"Then it is true, it seems the lakes have indeed dried up, someone has stolen the ice crystals we used to make the water cold and the warm sun has dried up our lakes, search every Knight! If those crystals are not found then we have no other choice, we will have to leave Vulcan Rock." Ni says stridently as the worried younger lions and lioness rush off to tell the others. Vulcan Rock relied on the ice crystals to keep the lakes cold and fresh, but with the crystals stolen the burning Outlander sun shining through the holes in the cavern roof above has dried up the lakes. Ni stays in the cavern a little longer to investigate the holes where the lakes used to be, he goes down into one of the crater like holes to see a small trail of venom was all what remained of the lake and this was the first clue.

"In the wrong hands those crystals could wreak havoc in another warmer climate." The rouge lion speaks to himself dipping his paw into the venom and getting a closer look, the trail leads off down one of the tunnels which lead into darkness. The tunnel the trail of venom leads down towards the Dry Forest, the Dry Forest being the place where Afua a fellow Knight resides with his friends. But Ni's investigation is cut short as another more violent shake of Vulcan Rock shakes the cavern violently causing the cave to quake. Suddenly loud thuds are heard above ground and Ni wipes the venom from his golden furred paw and runs towards the entranceway above ground. Suddenly the rouge lion as a massive boulder suddenly falls from the cavern roof to fall right onto Ni's paw crushing it under the boulders heavy weight.  
>"Gah!" Ni roars noisily in pain as the boulder lands on him, instinctively he grabs the boulder and with all his might he pushes it off his back paw. His paw was in much pain, growling loudly he crawls across the cavern floor a tear streaming from his eye from the pain. Dust and dirt fall from the roof of the cave, surely an Earthquake doesn't have this many aftershocks, thinking only of his best friend Nala, Ni gets up on his three paws which are uninjured and limps toward the tunnel leading upwards, but once again he is stopped. He hears a high-pitched laugh down one of the longer tunnels, the laughs echo across the cavern. Tilting his head to look in all directions around the dark rocky cave, Ni struggles his way towards the source of the sound. Going beyond the call of duty he weaves his way down until he is directly beneath Vulcan Rock, here a another larger cavern lies. Ni looks up to see before him are several small but ancient temples. Several large rocks made up the interior. The Ancients must have been here before, underneath Vulcan Rock. The Ancient were creatures which lived before the Great Earthquake almost everyone knew their names but nobody knew much about their past or what they did before the Pridelands existed the only thing Ni knew was that were all killed during the Great Earthquake. The temples were weaved into the cavern walls and consisted of old yellow stones thrown or rolled together into a square pyramid shapes, from the top of these pyramids were large pillars of stone which hold up the roof of the cavern. While looking around at the great structures Ni realises some of the large pillars of stone are destroyed, just recently infact—<p>

"So nice of you to join me," A female voice of a lioness echoes in the cavern alerting Ni who immediately draws his claws. Quickly turning his head in all directions Ni but cannot see the source of the voice, the echoes seemed to be everywhere.  
>"Welcome to the cavern of The Ancient's Ni, or should I call you...Mheetu." The cheery female voice speaks again.<br>"Who are you?" Ni growls in fear for his life, suddenly a dark grey furred lioness with red eyes appears behind Ni.  
>"My name is Solta, don't you remember me Mheetu? We met in the Forest That Time Forgot," Solta replies her voice was constantly taunting and for some reason she knew everything about the unwashed lion before her.<br>"Stop calling me that, my name is Ni!" Ni turns around and takes a strike at the lioness but she quickly grabs the rouge lion's paw with little effort deflecting his strike in the process, Ni was in no state to fight but he gets a good look at Solta. Her red eyes shine and gleam in the darkness of the cave, but the grey lioness was sad, Ni could see the unhappiness it seemed as if her eyes has seen much pain, the rouge lion glances down to see that wrapped around one her right white paw was a grey scarf weaved together from old forest undergrowth from the same forest Solta just mentioned. Ni had never seen the lioness before in his life, but before Ni can speak once more Solta was off, she was fast, quicker than anything Ni has seen, she jumps out of sight and up onto of one of The Ancients pyramid formations jumping to the very top with little effort.

"I cannot fight a lion whom is injured now can I?" Solta mocks teasingly,  
>"All these tunnels beneath the Pridelands and these stone temples were all built by The Ancients. These tall stone pillars must be hundreds of years old, so what if I accidentally knocked one?" Solta says before purposely kicking one of the stone pillars with her back paw, from where she kicked it the old delicate stone slowly starts to crack and before long the entire stone pillar is crumbling causing the cavern to quake again just like before. Solta smirks to herself and turns to face Ni with an evil look on her maw,<br>"Better start running," Solta laughs provocative as the cavern start to fully collapse now with the stone pillar to keep it stable, Ni turns quickly and runs for his life as the cave slowly starts to fall apart the foundations of Vulcan Rock crumbling around him, the whole cavern was shaking and Ni was wounded running on only three paws now dragging his wounded one behind him. Solta's laugh echoing behind him as massive chunks of rock falls right beside the rouge lion smashing into hundreds of pieces when they land and sending explosions of dust all around Ni as he runs towards upper tunnels. Huge piles of dust explode into Ni's face as the particles fly into his eyes, but he doesn't stop, stopping would mean certain death, behind him the cavern caves-inward, huge cracks in the cavern floor rip outward, revealing pools of molten lava behind Ni, the walls slowly start to decent around him, but suddenly a flock of blue birds zoom past Ni and flutter through the destruction of the cave and back to where Solta flee's in the opposite direction, the stone pillars in The Ancients temple room fall like dominoes each crashing into the next, the blue birds flutter around Solta and peck her head and body confusing the lioness and causing her and stop and attempt to claw them away. One of the small blue birds grabs Solta's ear and bites it hard she eventually grabs one of the small birds and throws it with all her might across the cavern into the wall ultimately and mercilessly killing it on impact. She frantically claws the rest of the blue birds away as The Ancient's temple fall all around her and the floor cracks open beneath her, Solta flees down the tunnel toward the Shadowland.  
>Meanwhile Ni is struggling to run on only three paws, the tunnel leading upward was just a few moments away, the destruction behind him exploding and causing the cave to quake violently, there was a wave of destruction which wasn't going to stop, Ni had made some distance away from it now as he enters the cavern which used to have the cold lakes. All Ni can think about is Nala, and if these were to be his last moments, they would be thinking about her, his best friend, whom he broke the law of the Lion King just to see again, suddenly Ni feels the weight of his wounded paw disappear, behind him short twitters of the blue birds which help Ni by lifting up his back paw helping him keep weight off it as he ran, with the birds help Ni made it out of the tunnels just in time as a huge boulder blocks off the tunnel behind him.<p>

Vulcan Rock was breaking up above ground, without the foundations holding it up underground the monument was slowly crumbling. Ni was safe for the moment, taking little time to gather his breathe he heads into the Outland to see the majority of The Knights had fled and scattered into the dusty barren Outland, suddenly the blue birds fly off and swoop back into Vulcan Rock back to their master, his leader who was still inside. Ni turns back and he looks frantically in all directions,

"Get out of there, Tojo!" Ni shouts the name of the leader of The Knights, the keeper of the blue birds who was still inside, but it was too late. The tall monument Vulcan Rock suddenly falls the bottom part of the monument collapses in on itself and the top part breaks apart directly downwards crumbling into a pit of dust and ash which ripples outward knocking Ni off his paws. The smoke hurled upwards for miles into the Outland sky, the roaring of crumbling had stopped, Ni gets up out of the dirt, there was a black haze and smoggy clouds filled the air with poisonous gasses, there was a slow whistle of wind the rouge lion squints his eyes to see a silhouette emerging from the dust and rock pile which remains of his home. As the dust passes and the destruction calms itself, walking from the ashes a tall especially muscular lion with a red maine and dazzling crystal blue eyes walks forward, a small blue hawk resting on the lion's right bicep muscle. Miraculously he survived, the leader of The Knights, the one who has been touched by the Great Spirit herself; Tojo.

Vulcan Rock is lost...

**End of Episode** **VI.**


	7. The Forest That Time Forgot

**Author: **Daggermouth

******Lion King 4****  
>Chapter: VII – The Forest That Time Forgot. <strong>

"Nala, Kivuli, Sarafina, Kovu, Kopa and Zira, all victims of a circle of events which could never have being stopped. But one cub escaped the circle of events when he was attacked by the dark king Scar. His name is Mheetu and he is still alive. Mheetu wonders the savannah as a lost rouge lion far away from that despicable monument they call Priderock. If our plan is going to succeed we must find Mheetu, and kill him." Joka the snake hisses evilly under his slippery red snake tongue to his two assistants Bhat the fox and Solta the dark lioness in the heart of the Shadowland. Purple lightning rages in the dark clouds above the three figures lighting up the cloud with a purple tint and shaking the sky with thunderous roars.

"I only had the displeasure of watching him flee to the Elephant Graveyard once, the lioness named Nala wouldn't trust me that he still lives, but it is true, Hisss!" Joka gives a merciless high-pitched laugh while hissing at the same time.  
>"I know that name master; I also have formerly met Mheetu but he was in the Forest That Time Forget." Solta explains reminiscing about a time she was a cub living in the forest with her father Uzuri and her mother Kari. Joka smiles deviously as listen attentively as his pawn talks about her meeting with the little cub—'<p>

'—_This tale goes back in a time to when Scar was king and the Pridelands was wiped of greenery completely and everyone including the many hyenas are all gathered at Priderock. Nala was stuck by her brothers side but it was because of Mheetu everyone was gathered. It was a dark day at Priderock, everyone was hugging Mheetu and the little scared cub was clueless as to why. Until Nala herself hugs her brother a few tears stream down her face..._

_"I don't understand where am I going?" Mheetu was told he was going away, for a very long time.  
>"Oh Mheetu, my lovely brave Mheetu; this is goodbye..." Nala didn't want to let Mheetu go, but she was dragged away by Zira when Mheetu was lead up Priderock by Scar. The lionesses were kept in place the hyenas in rage, each one angry and upset. Nala run to cuddle with her mother Sarafina. On the highest cave of Priderock, Mheetu stood scared as Scar evilly clawed a large boulder as to sharpen them a loud high-pitched squeaking echo's through the cave as Scar drags his claws down the rock. Scar then pounces on Mheetu and slowly took him apart. In these moments Mheetu's teary eyes squint on the horizon, for the little cub see's a faded ghost on the horizon, a spirit of a black fox, the spirit ghost was staring right at Mheetu, watching him about to die. But the dark king Scar saw the black phantom fox as well and froze when he saw, he was frightened, the black spirits had being haunting him since he became king, as if they waiting for him to die. Mheetu saw the fear in Scar's eyes and took his moment to escape, he quickly shot upwards scared but not badly wounded, he rushes upwards tripping as he does and falls down the side of Priderock from t he terrace where Scar was. Not looking back the pale cub Mheetu rushes out towards the black spirit fox, which mysteriously turns to lead Mheetu out into the savannah.<em>

The premature lost cub with white flaky fur runs across the Savannah in tears and covered in dry blood, the poor cub Mheetu had just escape sudden death when running from the dark king Scar. The small cub follows behind a strange shadow spirit in the shape of a fox, in the distance the purple snake with red stripes Joka was watching with a smile, the mysterious snake witnesses Mheetu running through the Elephant Graveyard and to a forest far to the south past the borders of the Pridelands. Mheetu ran, father than he had ever gone before, past lands which were not even named, out of the Pridelands before reaching a thick lush forest filled with an assortment of trees and wildlife, the frightening phantom fox disappears into thin air the moment the cub steps a paw into the forest. The small cubs first thoughts on the forest was that it was stunning, its beauty matches that of the Pridelands, it seemed peaceful, all the animals here were tame and well-mannered which made Mheetu less afraid, but when the cub looked behind him, Priderock could not be seen and everything he knew was so far away left behind him when fleeing, there was no going back now. While wondering the many different paths through the forest somehow the cub knew the forest was magical, the pale cub approaches an opening in the trees, the woodland itself was circular in shape and Mheetu enters the direct centre of the forest, and there rested a strange haphazard stone altar. On the top of the stone altar was a peculiar white stone perched on the top. The stone was glowing ominously; Mheetu innocently pads over to the mysterious altar, there was nobody around the place cub reaches out to touch the strange stone—

_**"**__Stop!" the voice a quirky young lioness shouts and quickly enough a dark furred lioness appears infront of the younger cub blocking him from the altar, the lioness only being a few years older than the little cub before her but yet she seems wiser.  
><em>"_Turn back. The answers you seek here will only bring you the pain you hope to hide." The lioness says, she seems to be giving friendly advice while at the same time reinforcing a warning to the cub before her. Mheetu stutters slightly, he seemed to be incised by the shiny stone as if it was drawing him in, he clears his thoughts before replying,  
>"Who're you?" Mheetu says bravely standing up proud,<br>"I am just a visitor, my name is Sola. And if you value your life you must turn back." Solta says enforcing the warning again. But then extraordinarily, Mheetu unexpectedly nuzzles Solta's leg in affection while whimpering softly,  
>"Err, oh boy, go on little cub, go back to your mom" Solta sighs before backing off as the little Mheetu starts to snivel,<br>"I don't even know where my mommy is any more." Mheetu weeps and sits down looking depressed curling his tail around his body for comfort. It's only at that moment Solta sees the dried blood and dirt over the little cubs fur, she realises the cub must of being attacked mercilessly. Sighing again deeper this time Solta realises she can't just leave the cub unaccompanied.  
>"C'mon little one lets go get you cleaned up," The dark lioness leads the way through the forest toward its smallest watering hole protecting by a circle of trees. Mheetu quickly cheered up and dived straight into the pool much to Solta's astonishment,<br>"That's not what I had in mind! Ah geez, your filth is floating in water...Urg. Say kid what's your name?" Solta complains but she has to respect the cub's optimism as he splashes around in the shallow water. For some reason when Mheetu is around this older lioness he felt comfortable and happy. Solta just grimly frowns and heads back to the stone altar to guard it. As Mheetu plays in the water a small flock of blue coloured birds fly past tweeting happily as they do but this makes the little cub glance around to see Solta was gone he jogs back to the altar with his clean fur to talk to his new 'friend'. Giggling Mheetu playfully rolls on his back and paws at the altar, he wanted the white stone out of curiosity, Solta's ears prick up as she hears the annoying cubs playing scratches against the altar, she snarls and walks to him with a sombre look on her face._

"_Mheetu, please listen to me this is important, more important than anything else. That stone is of great importance to me and it is on there for a reason. Mheetu, if you move that stone, we all will die." Solta spoke with grave seriousness, "If you're going to stay __here, you must promise me you will never take that stone," Solta puts much emphasis on her words making sure she looks dead into the cubs eyes so he gets the message. And from that moment onwards Mheetu had his new home..._

The years passed quickly rolling ever onwards as time stopped for none...

_The lush forest was as peaceful as ever, the tall trees were healthy and the little critters chirped happily. Creeping in the undergrowth was the black furred lioness Solta; she was deadly silent, making no sound as she creeps across the ground. Suddenly a pale adolescent lion pounces upon her and playfully paws at her,_

_"Ha, pinned ya!" Mheetu laughs pinning down the unsuspecting lioness.  
>"But how did you see me?" Solta protests pushing the older lion off her,<br>"You're tail was poking up above the grass the entire time," Mheetu smirks with little cheeky purr. Solta manages to give a slight smile on her maw, the little cub Mheetu wasn't so little any more, he had grown into a proud lion and he was learning to hunt rather quite well, his progress amazed the older lioness.  
>"Well I'd better get back to protecting the stone altar," Solta says while stretching her body outwards before leaving.<br>"Awww, already? Can't we practice some more, why do you protect that altar so much anyway?" Mheetu groans following his friend to the altar in centre of the forest.  
>"Mheetu you know what happens if that stone ever gets moved, I just can't risk letting it out of my sight, and besides my parents protected this altar." Solta plants herself firmly between Mheetu and her prized white stone, Mheetu lies down implying he wasn't going to leave until he got a better answer from his best friend.<br>"Tell me about them, your parents I mean..." Mheetu smiles ready to listen. At first Solta was hesitant to trust him, but now...  
>"There names were Uzuri and Kari, and they lived in this very forest with me, they raised me happily and without worry. But the time came that I had to depart my home, but outside this forest I never truly found love or a new home to call my own. Eventually I got word that my parents got in a fight and my sister got swept down the nearby riverbank. My parents were later killed, someone had poisoned them. Their bodies were found hugging together and then they were taken to the Great Beyond. I never got to meet my sister, or even know her name." Solta sobs looking down to the ground,<br>"I'm sorry." Mheetu gets up and walks up to her placing his own head underneath hers for comfort, Solta gets a feeling inside her she has never felt before, it was a warm feeling brought on by Mheetu caring about her. Somehow feeling the younger lions fur against her own made her feel comforted. But before long the lioness pulls away and clears her throat before standing guard at the mysterious stone altar._

Three days later...

Mheetu was sat alone deep in the forest which has served as his home for the past three years, the lion had grown well, his fur was still pale his semi-green and brown eyes were more mature; he was rather goofy and wanted to hang around most of the time. He cared for Solta more than anyone in his short life, but even Mheetu knew if he really wanted to get her he needed to take that white stone out of the picture. So he waited, and waited, and waited until finally Solta had to leave her post to get a drink in the nearby watering hole. Using the skills she taught him the lion sneaks up to the altar, he gets up to look at the haphazard stone, it had strange writing all along it, and placed on top of the altar was the bright white stone. It gleamed in the reflection of his eyes; the more he looked at it the more he seemed to want it for his own, tilting his head slightly he was drawn by its beauty, Mheetu slowly raises a paw to take it he slowly took it in his paw, the stone felt warm on his fur, he takes it from the altar and looks at it longingly before stepping back. But the more he moved away from the altar the more the air grew cold, Mheetu himself didn't notice he was too stricken by the white stones beauty. From the centre of the altar from where the stone was a thick black haze starts to emanate and creeps down the four sides of the altar almost as if it was alive. Suddenly there's a huge flash of dark light from the altar and a beam of light shines upward into the sky. From the nearby watering hole Solta suddenly turns her head to see the beam of dark light, in shock she curses under her breath before rushing to the scene.

"_Nooooo, don't move the stone!" Solta shouts snapping Mheetu out of his trance, he looks to see strange lights emanate from the altars core, the light would dance around the forest, suddenly cracks start appearing near the alter rippling outwards snapping the land around it followed by the land itself quaking violently around them.  
>"Mheetu put it back! Put it back or we're all going to die!" Solta shouts before she knocked back as the land cracks around her exploding dust in all directions. The black mist creeps along the undergrowth of the forest towards Mheetu stands now in shock. The dancing lights zoom across the forest and whatever the lights touched instantly withered and died. Solta gets up and tries to make her way towards Mheetu through the destruction, a light flies past her burning her fur clean off where it touched her. Solta was terrified, and then she heard them, all around her, whispers, whispers all around them.<em>

_"Oh no, they're coming," Solta worries turning her head to see them. Black coloured phantom foxes dance across the land whispering as they do, the entire forest around them starts to die from the centre outwards, the lush trees died instantly the life seemed to be sucked completely from them. Solta had no chance of getting to the younger Mheetu on the other side, the mist was spreading fast the whispering phantoms were getting closer as if they were called by the altar, there was only one thing she could do,  
>"Mheetu, I know I didn't say it before but I love you, I love you and I don't want to lose you! Just please, put the stone back!" Solta screams, tears streaming down her face for everything was instantly dying around her, Mheetu avoid the black haze emanating from the magical altar and bravely with the white stone he quickly slams it back on the altar with tremendous force! Suddenly there's a huge flash of white light and the slowly phantoms faded with distraught screams, the mist dissipates into the air and the dancing lights fly off into the sky never to be seen again. Mheetu breathes heavily, and then turns his head only to see Solta lay defeated on a patch of dead grass, her fur was burned off, her eyes had somehow changed to a deep red colour, and she was gravely wounded. Mheetu rushes to her aid, holding her tightly in his own paws, realising the full extent of his mistake. Mheetu carries Solta on his back and out into the open, where it took several hours for her to awake again. Even when she awake she appeared very weak, but he never left her side,<em>

_"Solta I'm so, so sorry!" Mheetu nuzzles the black furred lioness lovingly already regretting what he did and feeling foolish for even contemplating going against the promise he made. Eventually Solta gained the strength to get up, she was wary of her surroundings, but her vision was hazy, she turns to Mheetu with a remorseful smile.  
>"Now you know why I slave over protecting that stone. It's what it does; it entices you, draws you in and traps you by its beauty. Kari, my own mother was obsessed with this stone; she defended it until her dying breath, when I was told my parents were killed in <em>_cold blood I took my mother's place and I've remained here ever since." Solta sighs, before turning her head to clean the patches where her fur had being burned off.  
>"What is that rock? It seemed so alive, that black mist killed all it touched, those strange spirit foxes, I saw one only once before, I followed it to this forest and it leaded me here..." Mheetu remembers his past and the spirit he saw watching him, starting deep into his soul even those the spirit had no physical eyes.<br>"The fox spirits, I still don't know their true purpose, but whatever they appear it can't mean anything good." Solta says weakly whimpering in pain before her vision finally focuses and the black furred lioness gets a good look around.  
>"What have you done Mheetu? The forest, my home, all the trees, all the animals which lived there, they're all dead." Solta weeps and she was right the forest was now nothing more than a barren wasteland, the trees were mere stumps and skeletons no leaves remained on them, there was a strange red sandy haze all around them and the magic of the forest had faded away, nothing remained living in this place now accept for the two of them.<br>"What do we call this place now?" Mheetu says knowing full well the mysteriously dancing lights and black mist had killed everything around them. Solta steps forward to name the dead land for all of time...  
>"We should call it: The Outland, in other words, keep out." As soon as the feelings of despair fleeted from Solta then the feelings of rage started to creep in and she begins to slowly back away from Mheetu, knowing full well he apologized a hundred times, it but somehow they both knew it wasn't going to be enough for forgiveness.<br>"I love you Mheetu more than I've ever loved another lion, but you hurt me, and worse, you destroyed my home and everything I know... I think it's time you left. And please, don't come back." Solta said painfully turning her back on her younger friend, it hurt her to say but she just couldn't forgive and forget, for his own safety she had to let him go and he had to do the same. Mheetu clenches his paws and turns away from his love before walking away and quickly disappearing into the reddish mist of the newly formed Outland—'_

_'_—"That was the last time I ever saw him." Solta concludes telling her narrative of Mheetu to the dark snake Joka who snarls slightly he never cared about love or any sapping feelings which made others weak, he paces coiling his snake tail before replying to the now grey furred lioness, "How touching, but do not let your personal feelings get in the way of _my_ plan Solta," the snake hisses aggressively before uncoiling his tail. Solta growls under her breathe, remembering the pain she felt when Mheetu betrayed her, her red eyes fraught with rage but then at the same time remembering the good many years they spent together in the Forest That Time Forget which became the dead Outlands.

"Based on what you know, Mheetu doesn't seem to be a problem now. My army is ready to strike so we move onto the very final phase of my plan, to kill the blood relations of the king and the rightful successors to the throne: Kopa and Kiara."

**End of Episode** **VII.**


	8. The Tale of Kopa, Part Three

**Author: **Daggermouth  
><strong>Message From the Author: <strong>This concludes the tale of Kopa and will be the final part of his past.

********Lion King 4******  
>Chapter<strong>**:**** VIII**** – ****The Tale of Prince Kopa, Part Three. **

Kopa aimlessly fondles with the stone known as a Black Scarab in his paw, it had strange writing across it and carved on the front was a carving of a scarab the creatures roamed the savannah sometimes they were even a snack for Timon or Pumbaa. Kopa couldn't work anything about the black stone, the writings upon it were impossible to read, they remain a dark secret.  
>He had spoken to none about the stone, the stone which served as a warning that death is near for whoever it comes to, it was now just a waiting game. Sighing deeply Kopa heads onto the terrace leaving the safety of the lion's den, he decides to go on a walk someplace quiet, following a small path away from Priderock to his favourite cave, the cave which he and Vitani shared so many moments, the cave where the family tree lies carved into a wall there. Kopa heads down the old tunnel into his old adventure cavern, where the waterfall never ceased to run into the small rocky lake below. Placing the small stone down onto a nearby small boulder covered with moss Kopa makes his way to the water's edge and looks down at his gloomy reflection before bending his neck down to take long drink of the fresh water, but then there's a sudden eerie silence. Kopa looks upward, the waterfall has stopped, the once roaring waterfall now only a trickle before long there is a long high pitched laugh echoing across the cavern followed by quiet hisses. Kopa knew exactly who it was, he had met the snake many times before, that purple snake with the red stripes it was the same snake who told him that 'four will die', without further delay the fearless snake reveals himself and slowly slivers down from where the source of the waterfall once came from, twisting down the rocky wall and toward the prince who quickly throws his Black Scarab across the cavern out of view.<p>

"What do you want from me now?" Kopa snarls knowing the mysterious snake never appeared unless it wanted something.  
>"Its time you paid our debt little prince," terrifyingly the snake quickly wraps his tail around the unsuspecting prince coiling it around the lions body trapping him utterly squeezing the prince tightly so he can only gasp for breathe and not cry for help.. But suddenly a faint steps of a lioness could be heard heading down into the cavern; Joka acts hastily and begins to sliver away with the prince in toe. After hearing the muffled gasps of her mate Vitani finally enters the cavern to see the huge snake effortlessly carrying her prince away.<br>"Let him go!" Vitani scream rushing across the cavern, but Joka hisses, his bat-eared assistant Bhat had already set the perfect trap and Joka swiftly manoeuvres his body so his sharp venomous teeth can snap a makeshift rope. Vitani stops dead as the rope snaps and a massive boulder suddenly falls from the roof of the cavern and smashes into the ground below separation and blocking off Vitani from the poisonous spitting snake.  
>"You monster, bring him back! Bring him back!" Vitani screams clawing at the giant boulder from the other side desperate to be with her prince knowing full well he received a Black Scarab less than a few hours ago. Ignoring the distressed cries of the lioness Joka says nothing and carries his prey down the tunnel leading off toward the Shadowlands.<p>

Kopa slowly opens his eyes, during the attack he passed out but now his vision was just becoming clear, as he awakens Kopa is greeted by two red snake eyes and a devious grin. Joka had kept him alive, for now. Kopa struggles but finds all his paws are bound by unbreakable yellow coloured wheat grass, he roars in protest struggling against his restraints but he feels a strange burning pain on his neck which only serves to distress the prince more, he also sees a series of ropes across the small cave he is prisoner in, the ropes were a complex knot stringing diagonally across the cave and down the tunnel.

"Listen here Kopa. If you don't tell me what I want to hear, you won't get the only known remedy to the venom I just induce into your neckline." Kopa gasps and realises now what the burning pain in his neck is.  
>"Zira killed you when you were little, so how is it you keep cheating death?" Joka asks his high pitched voice the snake wanted to know how Kopa survived Zira's merciless attack on him as a cub many years ago. But Kopa himself had no idea, all he remembers was awakening covered in dry blood and the faded holy spirit of his grandfather coming to deliver him to the Great Beyond. Kopa had no alternative he had to tell the snake the concluding chapter of his tale—'<p>

'—_In the cold night far in the Pridelands, the blistering darkness burns with cold chills. Kopa is left on the rock he died on, His body lifeless and fading away, nothing more but the sweeping gusts of wind could be heard but then, but as a sudden gust of wind rotates around him the faint glow of life returns to the cub and Kopa abruptly awakes in tears. He grunts in anguish, coughs and gets up weakly, covered in dirt and blood. He trembles and falls off the rock he was on…Falling to the ground his body could hardly move. He struggled to even lift his body up he gasps for breathe, the only question running through his head is wondering how he survived such a devastating attack, Kopa sobs and finally gets up,_

_"I see; I see, Why can I see Grandpa?" Kopa squints the tears of the lion cub flow down his cheeks. The shadowy image of Mufasa in front of a white light comes into his vision. He shakes his head and musters all his strength to get back up. He glances over his shoulder and gazes Priderock in the distance of the night; his vision is blurry, his paws are quivering,  
>"I just, want to go home. And Vitani, I should of said it before, I love you," Kopa scream out to himself but it was all too late. Speaking no more. He turns around and stumbles into the grass. The faint echoing voice of his Grandpa Mufasa rings out to him beckoning him, telling the young prince it's time to move on to the Great Beyond. But Kopa just rushes away into lands unknown<em>**, **_each step he takes was as painful as the next but he ran anyway, the pain was almost natural to him now. Kopa ran so far away, further than any lion went before, the cub was so upset and destroyed inside almost nothing was left. _

_In the warmth of the savannah a newly formed tide brushes up against a sandy coast. The angry and wounded Kopa had just run away from death itself and he had just reached the Evenstar Beach where the little cub lies on the beach cleaning his wounds and sobbing greatly, nothing seemed to stop his tears, he was too frightened to return home now. Suddenly the young cub prince hears a creature heading towards him, the steps the creature made in the sand scrunched louder and louder. Kopa hides himself under his paws, quivering in terror._

_"Hey, don't fret; I shall not harm you," A calm voice of an older lioness speaks to the little cub. Kopa comes out from hiding behind his paws to see a large lioness; __she had a golden-haired fur coat, a happy smile and clean composure, her stunning brown eyes and a small tuff of hair on the top of her head.  
>"My name is Tama. What's your name?" Tama sits beside the younger cub clearly noticing he was upset. Kopa thinks the older lioness seemed trustworthy and honest but rather at the same time he finds her oddly familiar even though the cub prince knew he'd never seen her before.<br>__"I'm Kopa," The lioness kindly explains how she was washed up on this beach long ago, then the __days turned into months which turned into year, her anger passed after over a month of living on the beach she was washed up on. She taught herself to live and hunt, to eat and kill, eventually she grew older and into a lioness all this time living in solace on the Evenstar Beach the wonderful relaxing sounds of the water and beautiful crispy orange sunsets somehow kept her going. It was such an ironic twist of fades that the two met here. Tama comforts the little cub knowing he has being hurt by someone...  
><em>"_I was hurt by somebody too, when it came to decide between me and her brother, she chose her brother and put my life at jeopardy. I truly cannot blame her any longer; it was cruel day of misfortune." Tama explains the short story of her past  
>"Are you from Priderock?" the little cub Kopa innocently looks up at the older lioness as he replied,<br>"No, I'm not from Priderock, from somewhere else." Tama lies with a warm smile._

_Eventually Kopa and Tama displace their pasts and all about Priderock to them it became a vapour of clouded memories..._

_Both of them were lost, but together they seemed to have renewed hope in the world and in themselves. Tama taught Kopa most of lives most valuable lessons, the little cub already knew most about hunting, but Tama taught the little cub to be good inside and to be true in himself to find the right path. Their time together was relatively short, and all good things have to come to an end, even Kopa and Tama had to decide to move on from one other:_  
><em>Kopa knew this day was looming and he was prepared, <em>

_"Where will you go?" he asks his female friend with a happy sigh,_  
><em>"To the Sacred Valley, my home will be there now. What about you?"<em>  
><em>"I'll go anywhere, the world is my oyster." Kopa grins respectfully but before they finally part sides after so long of living together on the beach, Tama had one final thing to,<em>  
><em>"Remember when we first met and you asked if I was from Priderock. I didn't tell you the truth, I am from Priderock as were you and I'm really sorry Kopa." Tama sighs deeply finally getting the lie off her shoulders.<em>  
><em>"I know you lied but it's not your fault, you were trying to hide from your past as was I. I'm really glad I met you Tama and I hope you find what you're looking for. I'll be seeing you again one day. Goodbye... mom." Kopa kisses his friend Tama on the cheek before the two of them turn backs and walk in opposite directions neither one of them looking back. And the waves finally case their final brow upon this chapter of love and hope on the Evenstar Beach.<em>

_But Kopa never knew the purple snake with red stripes that was slivering up behind him, following the adolescent lion into the barren Outland where Kopa eventually made his stand in the wasteland. It's at this moment another fateful meeting happens as Kopa, Malka and Joka meet in the centre of the Outland and introduce themselves to eachother for the first time._  
><em>"Tell me where Tama is!" Malka growls noisily pinning the teen prince to the ground with his claws dangerously close to Kopa's nape. Malka knew full well the little prince new the location of Tama. Malka had being searching for years to find his mate and he was willing to do anything for information. Joka give a strangely rich laugher as the drama unfolds.<em>  
><em>"This can work out for all of us, Kopa you wanted more than anything to be king, but now Kovu has taken your place, your family have disowned you, forgotten you, but you know where Tama is don't you Kopa? Malka if you go to the Pridelands and bring Kovu here, Kopa can finish the new prince Kovu and kill him! Then with Kopa as the successor to be the next king you can get to know where Tama is once you have completed this favour for him. Everybody wins."<em>  
><em>"It all sounds too perfect but I can't just return to the Pridelands. I need a valid reason or else the Pridelanders will surely suspect something," Malka replies intrigued to the plan as the snake intently explains more:<em>  
><em>"I will cause chaos in the Pridelands; I will create uproar with the creatures there, I will set traps for them, I will light fires in the Pridelands, this will cause Simba to retrieve you Malka one of his closest friends. But after this day you will both owe me a debt," the scheming snake concludes ultimately setting the seeds for prince Kopa's arrival back into the Pridelands—'<em>

'—Kopa concludes the final part of his past and finishes his tale to the snake while still prisoner in the small hollow cave.  
>"It was you all along. You planned everything from the very beginning. You <em>used <em>me and Malka; you got us to hurt others while you sat back and watched! You made Zira take the blame for setting the fires and the digging the traps when really it was all you! What do you want from us?" Kopa struggles growling loudly and angrily but slowly and steadily Kopa was growing increasingly tired and weak, Joka's devious grin turns into a frown as he turns to face the trapped lion before him,  
>"You forget it was you and Malka who attacked Kovu and it was Zira who attacked you as a cub. You all bring your own undoing. I did nothing." Joka hisses but never once raising his voice or getting angry the snake seemed unnaturally calm.<br>"Your story was touching, but do you really believe love is that physically powerful?"  
>"Yes, love can transcend anything, even entire lifetimes, you've never being in love before have you?" Kopa answers almost immediately think about his love with his family and Vitani and almost feeling foolish about leaving them behind like he did. Joka suddenly starts to see pain inside, for the first time showing emotion to the prince, Joka was thinking about love, the love he can never had. Joka quickly snaps out of his thoughts and grows tired of the prince avoiding his questions,<br>"Hisss! All Lies! Love cannot be an illusion for true power!" Joka's irritated words echo throughout the tunnels. Joka heads to the other side of the cave it was not power the snake wanted, the Pridelanders did nothing, Joka wanted something more,  
>"If love is so powerful, can it save you from this—" From his mouth Joka throws the Black Scarab across the cave, it spins around slightly before finally coming to a stop right infront of the young prince It's the exact same Black Scarab Kopa received in the lion's den. It seemed no matter how hard Kopa tried to get rid of the stone, it kept finding him somehow...<br>"What an ironic twist of fate, I told you 'four will die' and it seems you will be one of them." Joka laughs evilly his captive before giving Kopa the antidote to the venom inside his bloodstream, a small white gleaming coloured herb with nine leaves which Kopa immediately shuffles over towards to eat without hindrance swallowing it quickly before looking at the Black Scarab before them both.

"You know what this is, don't you?" Kopa glances over to see Joka looking gloomily down at the Black Scarab with fearful eyes.  
>"It is the precursor of death, the sign of an early grave. It draws <em>them<em> toward you. Then you will die and I will live." Joka replies as Kopa struggles even more, but the wheat grass was unbreakable even to a stronger lion like himself.  
>"I saw them together with my own eyes, Malka did indeed find Tama, but no one will ever find you." Joka got the answer he needed and he slivers away mercilessly and silently leaving the prince Kopa and his Black Scarab to rot in the cave; alone in pure darkness.<p>

**End of Episode** **VIII.**


	9. Touched by the Great Spirit

**Author: **Daggermouth**  
><strong>

********Lion King 4******  
>Chapter: IX – Touched by the Great Spirit.<strong>

Ominous clouds gather in the daylight sky around Priderock, sunlight was fading and Rafiki had retired to his Baobab tree which leaves' rustle in the blustering gusts of wind. Rafiki new dark times were coming he was trying desperate to meditate to have another vision with the mysterious shadow he keeps seeing. Tightly shutting his eyes and in complete silence Rafiki meditates alone for several hours. Where once again he finds himself drifting off into a strange induced vision, where the magic of the savannah truly shows, the clouds swirl around him before a large grey shadow appears, The shadow was huge in size standing tall above Rafiki and had the body of a large lioness and a bright white maine of an angel.

"The full circle has closed, the events have passed, I can feel a young lioness is gone from the world. Through her time she was filled with hatred but that only covered how truly hurt she was inside, and in her final moment she was repentant, she was sorry for her actions. Her death marks that trepidation strikes all the creatures of Africa for that dark day we all feared is here." The large silhouette of the lioness speaks with such grace and wisdom.

"Who are you?" Rafiki asks complete clueless as to the name of this shadow filled with wisdom beyond that of the living,  
>"You call me the Great Spirit" The shadow explains clearly. At first Rafiki is dazed by her words; millions of thoughts rush through his head. But she spoke the truth; the shadow was indeed the Great Spirit herself in all her wonder and beauty. She has presented herself to the worthy mandrill in hopes to give him the much needed help to save themselves. Rafiki immediately bows down before the creator of the Pridelands. Within the Great Spirit's golden eyes all the secrets of the savannah were locked inside she seemed so powerful but at the same time so compassionate, merciful and kind. Rafiki was speechless before her; he was sanctified and blessed with a chance to be spoken to such an otherworldly being.<p>

"This is the final time we can speak like this…" She speaks again with an expressionless face.  
>"I still have so many questions;" Rafiki gets up and looks all around getting a good glance, is this the Great Beyond he now stands in, the place all spirits go after death? This place seemed so empty and awkwardly silent, something was not right...<br>"All your questions shall be answered shortly my child. This is Simba's final battle. You must all stand at arms or risk losing your world." The Great Spirit speaks calmly and only now does Rafiki detect the sadness in her voice.  
>"You said four will die and I think the next is Kopa; he got a Black Scarab which is the sign of death; do we lose the battle?" Rafiki replies but suddenly Rafiki is shown a hazy vision through the pupil of his eye: pictures flow through his eyes until his head clears and the mandrill gets a clear view of a Black Scarab stone breaking in half...<p>

"It shall be a mournful ending" She replies calmy, those six words were the last words the Great Spirit ever spoke before she died in the heart of the savvanah. With a quick and sudden tug Rafiki awakes to find he was back in his Baobab tree. His whole body was numb, there was no telling how long he was in the trance for this time, but the clouds were darker than before and the wind seemed relentless. Rafiki needed more information; he needed to know more if he was going to do help the Pridelands, all this time he had being communicating with the Great Spirit. Rafiki knows deep inside why he can speak with her and have these vision, but for every year of his life he has kept this darkest secret of his hidden and one day the mandrill knew this terrible secret would have to be revealed. He wasn't gifted with second sight but he knew these dark clouds were an omen; the Great Spirit speaks only of the end of the world and that terrified Rafiki more than ever before.

On the southern end of the Pridelands...

Fleeing from her enemies Solta the grey furred lioness hurriedly dashes her way across a makeshift log bridge separating the Outland and the Prideland, the scented smell of fresh grass was almost familiar to Solta as smashes through a nearby rock with her paw breaking clean through it she was definitely in the Pridelands. Chasing her from behind Ni and Tojo along with his two most precious hawks which flew along the two lions who spared no time following the evil lioness across and into the Pridelands, their friends were disbanded and scattered after Solta collapsed Vulcan Rock, Solta flees in terror, she wasn't meant to get caught, she had no idea Tojo and his two hawks were so determined to get a duty completed.

"Stop here," Tojo says to his friend and glares out at the open areas of grassland around them, there was no scent, no trail to lead them to Solta, the lioness disappeared had disseapered, there was no place to hide, no rocks or trees open widespread fields now stretching all the way to Priderock, which the two friends decide to make Priderock their next route, even if it broke the earliest law what Mufasa created, there was no other alternative. Neither of them had Priderock in such a long time, both Tojo and Ni who fearlessly approach the monument. Simba see's the two figures of lions approaching Priderock with great haste and snarls when he gets closer look. Simba heads down to the lower ground to confront them.

"What are you doing here; you know full well the penalties for breaking the first law." Simba says addressing both of them.  
>"Simba, Vulcan Rock is destroyed; there was nowhere else for us to go, The Knights are either dead or scattered in the savannah. We think the same lioness that destroyed our home may be here in the Pridelands, she's extremely dangerous," Ni explains Tojo glares at the Lion King, once Simba and Tojo used to be old friends; Tojo was even there during the adventure of eight when the Daggermouth Gorge dam broke but now the two lions had a fierce burning rivalry and there old friendship seemed to of faded away as the two of them face off against eachother.<p>

"Please Simba for once put your pride aside for the greater good!" Tojo says frustrated his voice was not that dissimilar to another familiar prince's tone of voice. Tojo even helped chase away the hyena's from the Elephant Graveyard after Scar was defeated, Tojo uses this to help perswuade Simba and trigger old memories inside the Lion King. Eventually Simba warms to his old friend as they speak of the good times they had together. Simba permits the two Knights of them search the Pridelands and roam freely, but it was a decision Simba wasn't so dismissive about, The Knights were always secretly working in the Pridelands behind everybody's backs sometimes they came here without being seen or even heard by any who reside here and not all the stories name them to be honourable. As the two visitors take off in opposite directions Simba once again stands proud on his throne of Priderock, looking out upon his recovering kingdom and up above at the rainstorm and thunderous clouds. Timon and Pumbaa the two inseparable best friends come marching up on foot to stand next to their friend, Simba turns and smiled to them but he could see the worry in their faces they didn't want another battle, everyone was sick of fighting and even when they won the battle it still felt like a loss.

"Hakuna Matata?" Simba says giving a nervous laugh, trying to lighten up the situation to the best to his ability.  
>"No Worries? Simba our lives are the only thing we <em>do<em>worry about!" Timon ever the dramatist replies failing his hands around,  
>"Simba I don't have a very good feeling about this," Pumbaa worries about the storm overhead and now about the vigilante who wonders the Pridelands as well as two unaccompanied Knights now roaming the Pridelands also. Everything seemed like such a mess ever since the war nothing was organized, Simba can't even remember the last he completed 'normal' king duties. These were surely dark times in the Pridelands.<p>

Kovu was happily walking with his father Kivuli close to Five Stones just to the north of Priderock. Five Stones was a Stonehenge monument consisting of five seemingly large egg shaped stones dotted around in a circle. The location was old now and the rocks were crumbled and rotting away with age and growing fungus around the over many hundreds of years

"Five Stones was built by The Ancients. It is the perfect circle of the rocks represent a ring of power and in the centre of these stones the heart of all beautiful life. Who knows what mystifying purpose these rocks served, but their presence somehow make me feel; uneasy," Kivuli explains about the mysterious location to his son walking beside him. Kivuli was both old and wise, after recovering from the tragedy of before he was spending much more time with his son to compensate the loss of his mate. Of course everyone knew willingly entering the Shadowland meant certain death, although in his younger years Kivuli would roam the Shadowlands freely and without consequence and his fur which used to be reddish brown was now permanently tainted grey as was the curse of the shadowy Shadowland. While lying with his son Kovu whom he was extremely proud of a sinister figure stalks the two lions from behind one of the rocks, two red eyes gleam watching their every move, Solta knew this other grey lion; he was like herself only older, and Solta knew Kivuli used to be the mate to her sister Zira and for reason unknown even to her this infuriated Sola even more, she snarls lowly under her breathe totally hidden from site, breathing increasingly heavily dark thoughts slowly creep into her psyche driving her to suddenly charge at the old lion Kivuli, with a loud roar she pounces quickly, she was fast, and quickly grabs Kivuli's neck and drags him down the ground. Kovu suddenly shocked the with attack tries to help by diving in after her but by then Solta already had Kivuli by the neck, her oddly long claws jabbed dangerously into his neck, it was a tense standoff.

"Let him go!" Kovu growls slowly etching his war forward, but he made any sudden movements it would surely be the end for Kivuli, Solta had his father in such a position that with a quick forceful push of her paw would cause her claws to impale his father. Kovu slowly circled both of them, as he does he notices there similar grey fur. Kivuli gulps and doesn't struggle he groans slightly not making any sudden movements. The noisy growls and loud shouting of Kovu directs of attention of Tojo's hawks that with their attuned senses turn their heads and fly leading their bird keeper in the right direction. Tojo arrives as his two hawks perched themselves on two the egg shaped rocks ready to attack at the moment their master clicks his finger to command them. But Tojo stutters to see another lion with grey; usually these tainted lions were corrupt beyond repair and were deemed the sworn enemies and nemesis of The Knights. Solta was surrounded; she begins whispering something into her captive's ear, her soft words making Kivuli shed a final tear.

"I'm sorry," She concludes out loud before slashing her paw across the elder lions jaw,  
>"Nooooo!" Kovu roars so aggressively he voice shrills up. His father only grunts and collapses to the ground his face was badly wounded, Solta makes a mad dash turning around and running out into the open, while Tojo orders his birds to chase her while himself helping the prince mourn. Kovu goes to comfort his defeated father, Kivuli's vision was slowly going dark, he was an elder lion and this wound was too great for him to survive, he knew this was his time, he just knew it. He needed to plan his last words carefully for what the dark lioness Solta whispered in his ear could be the key between life, death and saving all the Pridelands...<p>

"My son, I am more proud of you then any father, you bested the darkness and, I don't have much time, I brought you to these stones for a reason, Five Stones is special and you must learn about them, it is up to you now my son. He is coming to Priderock; he is the one who will make us suffer. You must travel to—_!" _The elder lion gasps, he can't finish his last words as he is shocked. The air grows cold around them, Kivuli looks up to see a single phantom fox dancing across the Pridelands. The sheer sight of the supernatural creature makes Kivuli shiver and grow cold, Kivuli understood what these phantoms are. Suddenly the fox turned its head to look right into the elder lion as if it was reading his very soul and even though the phantom has no eyes the elder lion could just tell it was looking right at him, its face was pointing right at the elder lion. The fox tilts its head quickly, it only moved in sudden movements,  
>"Kivuli... Kivuli..." The black spirit creepily whispers the elder lions name as if the fox knew everything about him. But as the dark spirit whispered his name, Kivuli's muscles went limb and all life from his face fades away before the lion drifts away into a sleep of peacefulness. The poor elder lions last thoughts were only regret and remourse for so much did Kivuli never tell his son. Within in the centre of Five Stones it came to pass that the elder lion Kivuli died from his wounds in the arms of his son.<br>"Kovu, your father was a great lion, he lived a good long life, but he was just too old to fight a grey." Tojo places his paw slowly on the prince's shoulder to comfort him and to hopefully reconsolidate Kovu whom he had not seen in a long time.  
>"I should be sad, but for some reason I'm not, I'm only angry, angry at the ones responsible." Kovu gives a look of hate.<br>"We will banish those who did this to him." Tojo had heard much about prince Kovu but heard he was rather unpredictable.  
>"No, we won't banish them, I <em>will <em>kill them! Mark my words." Kovu walks away saying nothing more there was nothing more they could accept wait for the Echoes Upon The Wind to come and deliver Kivuli safely to the Great Beyond as that was the name of the wind which spun around dead shells and collected most spirits of the savannah carrying them upwards. The wind would carry petals and over savannah leaves along them. But as the prince walked away it seemed that once again the darkness seems to threaten the young Kovu through the hate he carried.

When Simba and his daughter Kiara had heard the news and arrived at Five Stones it was already too late, the events had ended, Kovu was gone and all that remained of the drama was Tojo who was sitting and sighing in the centre of the stones. The air was cold; any creature could sense that death had passed here just moments before. Tojo glances upwards to see the Lion King the lions dazzling crystal eyes were saddened.

"This threat is far greater than anything we have faced before. The devourer of worlds is coming. And if we don't band together the darkness will claim us all. It is time to remove the first law. Let us protect you and your pride." Tojo says, before walking towards his old friend his hawks flying overhead, Tojo knew the Lion King needed more convincing.  
>"Don't see me as a Knight Simba; see past that, The Knights are just lions, same as you. I'm your friend Simba, I always was." Tojo finishes looking right into his eyes; it is only at this moment Simba understand the full severity of the problem and the ultimate threat facing his kingdom. Like Sarafina before him, Kivuli was gone now as well. Simba looks over at his loving daughter Kiara, if he didn't act now others might suffer and Simba wasn't going to let anyone else die but on the other hand the king knew the only reason he was the leader of The Knights is because Tojo murdered the previous leader, sighing deeply Simba decides Tojo's fate:<p>

"So it shall be, the first law will be disbanded." Simba commands with a wave of his paw, Tojo breathes a sigh of relief, the leader of The Knights could of faced exile but thankfully his old friend showed mercy him.  
>"Where have you been all this time Tojo?" Simba asks, it had being many years since they last spoke or even saw eachother.<br>"I've been right here with you Simba the whole time, where ever you see blue birds, I was there, secretly protecting you." Tojo speaks with great wisdom explaining he was here the whole time, as they speak Tojo's blue hawks fly down to ground level and fluster their wings. Tojo had a way with blue birds they loved him like a mother ever since he was a little cub and his two largest blue hawks named Moyo and Kiwi are his oldest birds.

"The blue birds, how could I have forgotten them, we have all seen them." Simba says petting one of the small blue hawks.  
>"Daddy when you telling me: 'we are one' I saw blue birds fluttering around in a nest, were you watching over us?"<br>"Yes Kiara, I was there." Tojo had watched over them the whole time. But the lion knew there was no time for idle chatter.  
>"Simba my dear there is so much you don't understand we have to tell you everything" Tojo nods to his old friend and the Lion King walks with his old friend as Kiara runs off to find her mate Kovu whom she was extremely worried about, Simba and Tojo walk together with his hawks flying overhead.<p>

"Found a mate yet Tojo?" Simba was glad he could finally talk with his friend who he previously mistreated.  
>"Ha, you know me Simba my dear, I'm too much of a flirt to ever really settle down, plus I'm dedicated to my birds, they do need a mother afterall." Tojo explains petting one of his hawks as Simba smiles. Feeling accepted once more the old friends head to Priderock where Simba marches upon the largest terrace of Priderock and roars loudly, his roar echoes across the savannah; he was calling his pride to gather at Priderock and then he would deliver a special message: One who had been touched by the Great Spirit herself has returned and the prophecy is coming true.<p>

**End of Episode** **IX. **


	10. The Daughter of a King

**Author: **Daggermouth  
><strong>Message From the Author: <strong>This is the penultimate chapter of book three.

********Lion King 4******  
><strong>**Chapter****: ****X**** – ****The Daughter Of A King.**

Solta runs aimlessly out of the Pridelands with the blood of Kivuli on her paws, nobody had followed her as she used the complex tunnels underneath all the Pridelands to sneak into the dark world of the Shadowland; back to her master. Joka waits with the small bat-eared fox Bhat in the heart of the darkness, as the purple lightning storms rage above. Bhat had just burned down the Oasis and killed hundreds of innocent meerkats in the process while Solta had just gone to destroy Vulcan Rock. Joka had stolen the cold crystals from Vulcan Rock and placed them in the lakes of the Dry Forest causing the forest to freeze and turn to ice. Joka had also trapped Kopa in the cavern after getting the information he needed from him before leaving the prince no chance of escape. Solta out of breath finally joins them, her eyes were discoloured and she seemed anxious and regretful of the terrible act she had just committed. The moment she arrives the snake smiles somehow the devious dark snake just knew by reading her facial expression that she had completed her duty. Joka grins, he snake was proud for his plan was finally reaching completion. The Shadowlands were never quiet, it constantly stirred with whispers of phantoms or lightning raging or even the twisters which spun from the clouds above to cause devastation below, but just for this one moment it was deadly silent as this was the final time the three of them would meet. Joka finally breaks the silence:

"One who has been touched by the Great Spirit herself has returned as the prophecy explained... but he is late, far too late to stop the end. You have done well my pawns, the Pridelands are burning all around us as we speak and two of them have died, their names were Sarafina and Kivuli. Hisss! And now Kopa is out of the picture and that princess Vitani is trapped in the cavern, with Kivuli dead his son Kovu will fall to darkness. So, all we need to do now is kill Kiara. I shall complete this task personally and both of you, Bhat and Solta, shall prepare my army. Priderock will fall tonight!" Joka words echo evilly throughout the Shadowland for the final time...

Another cold night had passed and rising in the sapphire sky the circular sun danced it way upward lighting up the Prideland, Kiara had spent the whole night looking for her mate Kovu, she was deeply worried about him, she had just left Five Stones travelling in the opposite direction to her father and his friend Tojo, there was so much about her father's past which Kiara never understood. She looks over her shoulder; the sun was rising behind her casting ominously long shadows across the Pridelands. She was determined, she had optimism like no other lioness, her brother had returned to her and before these events Kiara never even knew she had a brother, there was so many thoughts running through the princesses thoughts and all of them distracted her. She stops to rest for awhile bending her neck down to take a long drink from the nearby watering hole. Unknown to the princess there a snake following her, it had an evil hiss on its tongue, silently the creature slivers before her and suddenly takes a strike, its fangs digging in the princesses neck, causing her to whimper and gag, she was too tired and weak to cry for help, before the snake disappears, it looks right into her eyes, the snake had red eyes. Suddenly Kiara collapses at the edge of the watering hole, she felt dizzy and weaker than ever, she could barely move now her entire body was numb and she has been poisoned. Kiara looks up weakly as Joka the snake leans his snake body down to Kiara,

"You know all those stories you were told you about the darkness? They are all real." Joka hisses heartlessly before slivering away leaving Kiara to rot in pain on the edge of the watering hole as the poison slowly flows through her bloodstream.

Rafiki paces up and down his Baobab tree, the painting of the cub was still painting on the tree trunk, the painting was of the cub Kopa and Rafiki had many visions, for some reason his visions were becoming more elaborate, the painting of the cub on his tree was of one such visualization, Rafiki was becoming gifted with the power of second sight: the ability to see into the future, not only that, he was blessed with speaking to the Great Spirit and he had to tell the king what he knew. Rafiki goes to pick up his staff and clings it tightly, he sorrowfully glances around his tree house knowing this could be the last time he will ever see it and he walks around looking at all his Baobab fruits and all his paints and finally the painting of the cub on his wall, Rafiki had seen much in his elderly life, taking his staff Rafiki sighs before climbing down his tree, the storm above his tree beams up with electricity and lightning, Rafiki used to get help from Mufasa who guided the mandrill through, but the heavens have gone quiet and the storm gets darker, the morning sun was no longer shining and a black shadow casts it way across the Pridelands. Rafiki sighs knowing his darkest secret must be revealed tonight,

"It is time,"

Simba roars powerfully atop the terrace of Priderock, his mightiest roar yet, his old friend Tojo was stood next to him and he watches as the lionesses among others arrive at Priderock, together his pride congregate at Priderock including Rafiki and the loving queen Nala, but Simba is surprised to notice that mall of his successors are missing: Kopa, Vitani, Kovu and Kiara. Everyone gather around confused and worrying as a massive bolt of thunder strikes the Pridelands nearby, sending sparks of electricity in all directions causing everyone to panic and look over. Simba address his subjects,

"Today, we all face a threat none before this night, for this reason the first law is forfeit, The Knights will protect us from the darkness which is surely to ride on the fury of this storm. Not all of us may survive, Kivuli is gone, his life was taking by those willingly to hurt us, but our Pride shall remain strong!" Suddenly they're gasps in the crowd below as Kovu is rushing forward with Kiara on his back, she looked limb and almost lifeless. Brushing past the other lionesses Kovu almost barges them out of way before dropping Kiara down slowly on the ground at the foot of Priderock. Simba finishes his speech and runs down he nuzzles his daughter she looked pale and sickly.

"What happened?" Simba stomps his paw down,  
>"I found her near the watering hole," Kovu replies his eyes were scowling at Simba as if he hated the king for some reason,<br>"She's being poisoned," Rafiki talks over everyone else addressing everyone who react in their own ways,  
>"Oh Kiara," Nala says sadly nuzzling her daughter who mumbles her mother's name while laid on the ground, Simba is worried, his daughter was dying, he paces up and down infront of all the lionesses while Rafiki checks on his daughter as he was the shaman and the healer; he places his hand on young Kiara's head,<br>"What is it?" Simba asks confused noticing Rafiki's suddenly shocked expression and looking down at his daughter, suddenly everyone stops speaking over eachother as Kiara herself mumbles something, she stutters at first before speaking,  
>"I... I'm pregnant..." Kiara mumbles admitting to her family and everyone around her before passing out and shutting her eyes to rest. Kovu is shocked by the sudden news as well; he had no idea himself. Suddenly Simba and Kovu standoff together, Simba scowled, the new prince had got his daughter pregnant and he was clearly mad and still protective of her.<br>"There's no time to fight, there is only one cure a poison this strong, an extremely rare herb which only grew in the Shadowland." Rafiki says stepping between the two lions just as another bolt of lightning strikes the Pridelands.  
>"I'll do whatever it takes to save her," Kovu says and turns to his mate lying still on the ground and licks Kiara's cheek.<br>"Then it's sorted, Kovu, Rafiki, we must go to the Shadowland, Tojo, Ni, you and the lionesses must all guard and protect Priderock when we are away, make sure no one enters the kingdom without my authority, the Pridelands are closed." Simba orders to everybody and is ready to save his daughter until he is stopped by his loving wife,  
>"Simba, you know anyone who walks willingly into the Shadowland ever comes out alive..." Nala parts her advice, nuzzling Simba warmly, wondering if this is the last time she'll ever see him, Simba looks into her dazzling blue eyes before replying,<br>"I promise we shall return," Simba says parting ways, there was no time to waste, Rafiki leads the way as Kovu and Simba follow behind, leaving Tojo and Ni to comfort Nala and the other lionesses as the storm rages threateningly above Priderock.

Without a moment to lose the three brothers Simba, Kovu and Rafiki marched bravely across to the Elephant Graveyard, as he walks Simba gazes up at the dark storm clouds above and for the first time he felt alone. Before there was always a connect between him and his father in the Great Beyond, but now, the dark storm clouds were like anything he'd ever seen, the lightning raging in the Pridelands was purple in colour and struck the savannah with such and force and anger than the land itself shook on impact and these storm clouds made it impossible to see any stars, the connection to the great kings of the past was gone, the Great Beyond had gone silent. Kovu was determined to find this herb in the Shadowland, he did not care for the tales of that dark place but Kovu had another motive for joining the king; revenge, he vowed to Tojo to kill whomever ended his father's life and the hate in Kovu's eyes was clear. Rafiki knew much more than his two lion friends, he was wise but the dark clouds severed his connection and his visions with the Great Spirit and yet the mandrill baboon hybrid had told none, the sun was blocked from the sky and it was clearly midday now, today was the day, his secret will be told today, he communicated with the Great Spirit, but now was not the time to tell as Rafiki leaded his two friends into the Elephant Graveyard and surely into dangerous territory. The Elephant Graveyard was vastly empty the hyenas had surely fled into lands unknown their numbers scattered across the land, there was only one small path leading from the Elephant Graveyard to the Shadowland, a long passageway through the skull of a large elephant. Simba enters first followed by Kovu into the giant skull there was a hidden passage, Rafiki jumps up into the passage and looks back at the still and silent Elephant Graveyard and remembers its history. It used to be named The Mog Forest until a great raging fire bigger than any fire in Pridelands history burned through this place. Sadly a heard of elephant and mammoths migrating to the forest at the time got trapped inside, it was a sad tale which happened when Mufasa was just a cub. This brave elephant stayed behind and died covering the only passageway into the Shadowland the skull used to be the home of three hyenas named Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, but when they took their path and decided to leave it became empty. The passage itself was dull and dark, it had no light at all and the three friends had to walk blind through it, only the slow dripping sound of water was heard, Rafiki took the lead once more as the exit to the passage came in sight. The three of them walked out on a large terrace high up in a mountain.

"Behold, the Shadowland," Rafiki says pointing his staff as they gaze upon the Shadowland for the first time. The ground of the Shadowland was covered entirely in grey ash and dust, but they were occasional dark spiky structures which protruded out of the ground, these structures were struck by purple lightning which constantly struck the earth from the black clouds above. The purple lightning sounded more like dim explosions. The clouds in the sky spun around in a spiral a centre point of the spiral was at the very heart of the Shadowland, and also from the cloud were large deadly twisters and tornadoes which twisted down from the sky and touched the ground spinning up and churning rocks and ash and flinging it in all directions. They were little trees in the Shadowland but any trees were tainted grey and were broken or rotting badly.

"How anyone could live here is beyond me," Kovu speaks grimly looking down, the Shadowland seemed to stretch onwards forever, coming from below in the Shadowland they could hear crows and dark owls this hooted, but no animals could be seen as the entire place was covered with a thick black and grey coloured foggy haze.  
>"Turn back..." the female childlike whisper echoes around them; they were many whispers which seemed to be all around them, whispering their names among other indecipherable things. 'What have you done?' Another whisper mysteriously echoes around them they seemed to be getting louder the longer the three of them stayed looking down at the endless Shadowlands.<p>

"C'mon guys, let us start our search, and be careful, there is no telling what matter of creatures live in this place." Simba orders before finding a walkable slope which leads downward into the dull haze below. The Shadowland shocked even Rafiki never before had he seen such darkness, huge lightning bolts of purple lightning strike around them as the three friends finally reach the ground, Simba leads as the ground was covered in that grey ash, he places his paw down into the ash, it was like walking on thin air, the ground was so soft but the ash tainted Simba's paws grey and the ash wouldn't brush off. They stayed together, closely following one another in a line, Rafiki used his staff to help guide himself through the ash and haze.

"We are looking for a white coloured herb and it should shine clearly in this darkness," Rafiki speaks looking around, the dark clouds swirl above them and large twisters and tornadoes spin from the clouds in the distance and churn around on the ground hurling ash and rocks in all directions. Luckily the numerous twisters were far away, but the Shadowland was so open, the only structures were those spiky monuments which poked out of the ground which lit up with electricity when struck by the lightning.

The hours passed and the herb was still oblivious to them, the Shadowland went on forever, beyond the mountains and even beyond that, the dark land had no end, but together the three friends travelled to the centre, the centre of all the darkness, this is where the swirling clouds stopped in the middle, but Simba was losing hope fast, he could only imagine Kiara's suffering back home and he wanted to keep going, but somehow the Shadowland was so dark it made him more miserable with every step. Then they could hear it again, the whispering, it surrounded them, the whispers made Simba stop in his tracks as Kovu and Rafiki walked onwards without knowing the king had stopped. Simba was quickly alone when his friends walked off into the haze and out of sight. Simba looks around scared for his life and then without warning there it was, it was like nothing he'd ever seen before, it had no skin or mouth, it was just an outline shadow of a fox, the black phantom, it whispered even though it had no mouth as if the whispers came from within the spirit, it moved like any ghost would, quickly hovering above the ground and dancing creepily,

"They are coming... They are coming..." The black phantom fox quickly turns its head around to look right at the lion king it tilted its head sideways the very presence of the fox made Simba shutter, his fur stood up on end and he took a few steps back there was clearly something supernatural at work here, The creature spoke again its words came didn't come from a mouth but from deep inside the spirit, but this time the voice spoke differently the tone of the voice was different, the phantom spokes with the words of Simba's father Mufasa, the deep tone of the voice matched that of his father's perfectly,

"Siimmmbbbaaa, heellp meee..." Mufasa's voice came from the black spirit. Simba was suddenly overcome with fear, he shook with it as the fear was so intense it burned him, the kings eyes widened, he didn't understand...  
>"It's your fault," it voice speaks again with the dissapointed voice of his father, with the voice of the dead speaking to him made Simba himself shake in fear, he was stuck in place, staring at the phantom which seemed so proverbial,<br>Simba quickly shouts as a paw grasps his shoulder is pulled back by and pulled out of his strange encounter.  
>"Calm down, its only me," It was Kovu who watched as the king waves his paws around in fear against the air before finally coming to his senses, Kovu was baffled, he had no idea as to what had got Simba so scared, but Kovu could see the fear in Simba's eyes,<br>"Did you see it? Did you see it? It was right over... there." Simba points his paw was trembling,  
>"Simba, there's nothing there," Kovu looks to where his friends points but there was nothing there but empty land and more haze, Simba's eyes widen, the ghost was gone. Somehow that ghost fox knew everything about Simba's past, present and future, the king suddenly overcomes with regret, it had the voice of Mufasa but it sounded like his father blamed him for everything and that scared Simba more than anything.<p>

"We should be extra careful from now on." Simba made sure he stayed with the group after that encounter, nobody else saw the spirit and that made Kovu question the king as they walked the prince thought his friend was going mad, because of the dark Shadowland, it was impossible to distinguish between day and night here due to the darkness, time was irrelevant here in the Shadowland and that was enough to send anyone insane.

Meanwhile back at Priderock...

Back at Priderock the lionesses along with Tojo and Ni patrol Priderock; Tojo's hawks patrol in the skies above circling around and getting a birds eye views of the area. Everyone was looking around with their claws drawn ready to face any threat which comes to them they were protecting the throne at all costs. While exploring the outskirts of Priderock Ni with his dirtied fur which he never really washed finds an entrance to a strange cave. The cave was previously covered with foliage and the curious Ni heads down inside, the minute he enters the rouge lion could hear something, the faint cries of a lioness, he rushes down quicker down the dark tunnel and into the cavern room, here there was a dried lake which used to have a waterfall and a family tree on the wall but in the centre of the cavern was Vitani trapped underneath a large boulder, he back paw was badly damaged and she was crying out.

"Hold on," Ni shouts and runs over before trying to push the boulder off the princesses' leg, the rock was so heavy and it only moved slightly, Vitani looks up at her hero with rouge lion Ni and tries to remember him from before,  
>"Wait... I know you, you were here before, you're Nala's friend," Vitani mumbles she remembers seeing Ni only once when Kopa returned and he and Kovu were fighting down Priderock before they were both princes, inadvertently Ni and Nala met again during those events. her eyes were squeezed tightly in pain as the boulder rolls off her and Ni rushes to her aid.<br>"But you have to listen, he took Kopa, a snake took Kopa and set a trap for me!" Vitani tries to get up but stumbles on her broken back paw, she was panic-stricken her true love had being taken from her once again and this time by a deadly snake, she was screaming in pain and anguish, but the passage was blocked by huge immovable boulders, Vitani suddenly passes out, the stress and pain was too much for her, even the strongest and fearless lioness' fall. The brave Ni takes her up on his back and begins carrying her out of the cave he walks slowly being careful of the her damages paw and then goes to warn those back at Priderock.

Hours passed and it seemed as if the herb was not in the Shadowland...

Simba wanted to save his daughter more than anything, but the Shadowland was slowly sending them all insane, the darkness made them forget what daylight looked like, the haze constantly made them all feel claustrophobic and the ash was dragging them down as it stuck to their fur. Now Kovu understands why his real father Kivuli's fur was all tainted grey after living here for so long, the ash was inescapable, but thinking of his now dead father Kovu remembers his anger for those responsible, he got a good look at Solta, she had dark fur and red eyes easily recognisable and if he ever saw her again he would kill her, he wanted revenge and he was ready to deal it mercilessly,

"We should head back," Simba speaks; there was a clear trail in the ash where they had walked so heading back to the passageway should be easily marked out to them. As his thoughts swirl around in his head Kovu gets angry when he speaks,  
>"I'm not giving up. First Nuka died, then Zira, Sarafina and even Kivuli; my own father. I've had enough of losing those I love! I'm not giving up on Kiara. My father told me in his last words that I had to travel someplace... He meant travel here."<br>Kovu says standing firm as Simba and Rafiki look at eachother and then the prince, but as he places his paw forward he accidently kicks something, looking down and using his front paws to brush away the ash he jumps back in fright.

"It's... Zira." Simba says looking down at the dead lioness covered in dirt and ash. Kovu rushes up to his mother and checks her but somehow he knew the moment he saw her underneath the ash that she was gone. Rafiki waves his staff over the previous queen's body the fruits on his staff giggle over her. Closing his eyes as the three of them gather around Zira, Rafiki decides to tell his story just as a huge lightning bolt strikes the Shadowland nearby. Rafiki speaks slowly and calmly,

"I spoke to Kopa when he returned, he said that he was told a prophecy that four of us would die." Rafiki looks down,  
>"Three of us already have, Sarafina the beautiful and Kivuli the brave, and Zira." Rafiki knew this prophecy would come to be true when he saw Sarafina struck down by the Hyenas during the war and fighting. The prophecy states one more will die, Rafiki himself believes it to be Kopa whom the mandrill saw the prince got that Black Scarab not long ago, but it could also be Kiara who will surely die without the special herb, the only plant which grew in the Shadowland. As Kovu mourns hanging his head in shame and regret Simba explores the area to find a strange pool of venom nearby. The king thinks aloud:<p>

"I've seen venom like this before, when a fire started in the Pridelands I followed a trail and it leaded to right here in the Shadowland" Simba says to himself raising his head and looking around and there it was, gleaming with a white light, it was the herb they had being looking for standing up through the ash and glowing brightly. Simba shouts loudly in success as Rafiki runs on all fours limping towards the king who holds the white herb upwards into the air. Simba cheers and huffs panting when Rafiki the shaman takes the herb and pulls one of his fruits from his staff, he snaps the fruit in half and uses one half as a bowl while he eats the other half. He then begins to mash the herb into a paste like substance in the Baobab fruit and carries it with him nodding at Simba to declare it was time to head back. Kovu sobs over his mother, she was really gone this time there was no chance of her coming back at all, Kovu was miserable and for good reason, he had lost so many whom he loved with all his heart, the fighting for the throne of Priderock had taken them all accept for Vitani and Kiara. He was never going to give up on his sister and his mate, after mourning he sadly bids his mother a final farewell.

"Goodbye mom," He smiles under his tears, he had never cried before, his mother had taught him to be strong and to hide his true feelings but now she was gone. He had lost too much to care about hiding his feelings anymore. Wiping his tears now Kovu walks away to join his friends and promised to protect those he loved from now on, whatever the cost. When reunited the three friends head back to Priderock and decide to discuss things accept for Rafiki who keeps his secret tightly locked inside knowing full well today was the day it would be revealed. Simba, Kovu and Rafiki bravely transverse across the unforgiving Shadowland while heading home to Priderock.

Meanwhile...

Inside Priderock Kiara coughs weakly she was laid inside the lion's den while the storm rages in the darkened sky above,  
>"Kovu..." the young Kiara murmurs the voice of her true love under her breath in a feeble attempt to call him, Kiara had no idea of her surroundings now as the princess could barely do anything, the golden complexion she normally had had faded away as she grew weaker and weaker with each passing moment. Nala hadn't left her daughters side, she cuddled her daughter to keep her warm and safe, her daughter was dying. Nala looks down at her daughter worrying, Kiara was laid still and silent, her breathing was weak. Kiara had her mother's optimism but this time even Nala feared the worst, as Tojo quietly enters the den with upmost respect Nala turns to her old friend,<p>

"Tojo, who did this to my daughter? Who keeps hurting us?" Nala says with tears swelling up in her eyes, Tojo sighs gently as he sits on the rocky ground, his thoughtful answer echoes across the Pridelands as he explains everything to the queen and her daughter,  
>"Surely the poison means one thing. The pinnacle of everything what has happened comes from one source, a creature which is beyond the realm of the living, a creature with power immeasurable, his voice is filled with the darkness, you met him once before, but he is more than just a snake, he is Joka, the devourer of worlds."<p>

**End of Episode** **X.**


	11. The Fall of Priderock

**Author: **Daggermouth  
><strong>Message From the Author: <strong>To be concluded in the fourth and final book, which, will (hopefully) be uploaded in the Autumn.

**********Lion King 4********  
>Chapter: XI – Finale: The Fall of Priderock. <strong>

Across all of the Pridelands...

The Sacred Valley was lost; Malka had finally found his mate Tama, the lioness had being living on the Evenstar Beach and then went to live in the Sacred Valley where Malka found her atop an historic. Their reunion was ruined after the Sacred Valley became silent, the lakes and rivers had all being poisoned and his own pride was murdered. Malka had to warn Priderock of the impending snake which committed this deadly act, but now he questions her loyalty because she stopped him from killing the snake when he had the chance. Together they walk from the East.

The Dry Forest was also lost; moving home seemed a good idea at first to Afua, Beba, Kula and Chumvi but then everything fell apart. Chumvi bravely re-entered his home and had discovered their home had froze after icy crystals from Vulcan Rock had being stolen and placed in the lakes below the Dry Forest, all the creatures faced an icy death. Luckily Afua and Beba lived above ground and escaped the deadly mist in their home below. But now the four of them walk sombrely down from the North.

The Oasis was gone forever, burned down by a bat-eared fox named Bhat who loves fire, the meerkats living there were sadly trapped and were all murdered at the Oasis as the fire raged on. Ma, Max and the mysterious old wolf Unwami walk from the West, Ma was cradling a baby meerkat in her arms and Unwami the wolf had survived his fight with his old rival Bhat and he now carries the meerkats on his back, they had just walked through the Evenstar Desert and now they approach Priderock from the South.

Vulcan Rock had being destroyed too; it collapsed after the dark lioness Solta destroyed the Ancient's temples underground which served at the foundations to the monument. Before this happened however Zazu and his elderly mother Zuzu lead the hornbills across the sky, together the birds had to stop for awhile as they rested their wings and getting sidetracked but now Priderock was in sight as they fly from the West.

Ni carrying the young Vitani on his back also has to warn Priderock, he runs through the Pridelands from the cavern. The cavern which served as a playground for Vitani and her friends when they were cubs was now ruined, the waterfall was gone and one of the tunnels leading from the cavern was now blocked for all life.

Simba, Rafiki and Kovu also travel back to Priderock, after a dark journey into the unforgiving Shadowland Simba found the herb which would save his daughters life. Together the three friends rush through the dark passageway and into the Elephant Graveyard as time was running out to save her.

All their homes had being destroyed burned down or even froze. But together they all head to the save place in the centre of the Pridelands, the last remaining stronghold of the savannah; Priderock.

Nala cradles her daughter the princess Kiara, the young lioness groans on the ground inside Priderock. The epicentre of the storm was Priderock, the darkened clouds swirl around the monument. Nala had just being told of whom is coming to Priderock. She was extremely worried, but she knew the lionesses were out protecting the borders of the Pridelands.

"The king has returned!" Doti shouts as Nala's ears prick upwards she stands up just as her mate Simba and prince Kovu hastily walk inside with the mashed up herb in Rafiki's hand. Rafiki immediately dips his finger into the paste and rubs it on Kiara's forehead similar to what he did when a new heir to the throne is born. Kiara coughs and Kovu nuzzles her everyone was so worried as Rafiki applies more the mashed up white herb the princess finally opens her eyes, the herb had soaked into her fur and skin and somehow defeated the venom inside her, she opens her eyes and smiles at everyone gathered around her. At the same time everyone smiles and cheers quietly rushing up to the princess to cuddle her warmly. Everyone also breathes a sigh of relief especially Simba, it seemed that they were just in time to save her life.

"And the cub?" Nala speaks looking over at Rafiki speaking of the unborn cub inside her daughter,  
>"The cub will be fine now," Rafiki smiles knowing his duty is done and departs the lion's den leaving everyone to hug Kiara and celebrate that she was expecting. Rafiki stands on the terrace of Priderock looking out at all the Pridelands, it was dark, almost as dark as the Shadowland and the purple lightning seemed to match that in the Shadowland as well. Rafiki looks up at the dark clouds hoping for a message or anything, but any form of contact with the kings of the past was completed severed. Tojo the bird mother comes to sit with the wise mandrill, he was on the lookout for anything suspicious. He looks at Rafiki with a strange smile; but the two of them had something common,<p>

"You were touched by the Great Spirit too?" Tojo speaks shocking Rafiki starling him, Tojo looks out at the Pridelands and then up at the sky, Tojo was indeed touched by the Great Spirit when he was a cub, one day when Tojo was a cub he tripped and fell over a tree branch before he sprained his leg he couldn't go and play with his friends, but Simba found some blue birds on a Cliffside once, the blue birds followed Simba everywhere because they thought he was their mother. But because Tojo had sprained his ankle he had the time to look over the birds while his friends went to play, from that moment on Tojo and his blue birds became best friends, and Tojo became the bird mother. It was at this time the Great Spirit came to Tojo himself, she gave Tojo two very special blue birds, Moyo and Kiwi who grew up to be the hawks he has today. The Great Spirit did something to Tojo, she touched his heart and spoke to him, just like Rafiki had spoke to her also in his visions.

"And as the Great Spirit passed away she spoke her last six words: 'It shall be a mournful ending'" Rafiki speaks, repeating the last six words she ever spoke. After nuzzling his daughter and a great deal of sighing Simba the Lion King walks out onto the terrace out between Rafiki and Tojo and sits with them, after a brief silence the three of speak together,

"It is told that when the first Lion King Mohatu died; it was the first and only time it ever snowed in the Pridelands. They say Mohatu's heart was as pure as snow. It was like the Prideland itself is weeping in pain. Simba, you have the same white pure heart he did, you endeavoured to be just like him Simba, you prayed the brightest star in the night sky; you even walked the same path Mohatu did when you were exiled by Scar. One is coming who will make us all suffer. Everything should be prepared Simba my dear." Tojo places his paw on his old friends shoulder with a smile. The bird mother Tojo had dazzling crystal blue eyes which were filled with optimism, but the Lion King squints as he sees many figures in the distance, dozens of birds and some other lions are approaching Priderock. A strange grey wolf carrying two meerkats and above them flocks of hornbills fly through the air along with Zazu and his mother.

"Everyone, get out here," Simba orders he roars loudly calling everyone back. Eventually it came to pass that everyone are together at Priderock: Tojo, Rafiki, Ni, Afua, Beba, Chumvi, Kula, Malka, Tama, Simba, Nala, Kiara, Kovu, Vitani, Doti, Timon, Pumbaa, Uncle Max, Ma and finally Zazu and his mother Zuzu. Together everyone gathers at the foot of Priderock. Ni arrives with Vitani carried over his back as Kovu rushes to her aid and helps rest her foot, Timon and Pumbaa help Ma and Max who were very hungry and thirsty. Afua and Beba rest their paws together as Chumvi and Kula nuzzle one another, together the four of them had being through much, but most importantly as Malka and Tama approach, Nala can hardly believe her eyes. She rushes down across the Pridelands to her old friend and realises it really was Tama. Nala smiles as she runs and runs until finally she pounces on her old friend hugging her old friend tightly as Tama grunts and laughs. Nala hugs her friend. Nala had made a terrible mistake of leaving Tama to be swept away and lost to the Daggermouth gorge. Nala had saved her brother Mheetu instead, but Tama had lived and Nala was so happy she stayed hugging her most dearest friend,

"I was told you were alive back in the Outlands. But, It really is you. Oh Tama, I'm so, so sorry! Please forgive me," Nala cries holding her friend,  
>"Oh Nala, you don't know how long I have longed for those words. You are always my best friend. I...I don't blame, I really don't." Tama says forgiving her friend as the two lionesses get a good look at eachother all grown up for the first time,<br>"And hey, no more tears, okay Nala? You've seen enough pain." Tama smiles for once she was really glad to be home at Priderock. Tama looks up at the monument, she hadn't seen it in so long and she never thought she would see it again,  
>"Why did you never come back Tama?" Nala says teary but still smiling and wipes her tears, she was not going to cry anymore, her friend was right, Nala had seen enough pain but she was so happy now that she could talk to Tama again,<br>"I was trying to hide my past, I guess I just ran away with myself in the end," Tama replies as along with Malka they walk,  
>"I guess in that respect you're just like Simba. Nala manages to smile through her tears as together they join everyone else. The regret Nala felt had finally passed, she was forgiven by her friend, the queen Nala quickly thanks Malka for upholding his promise to find her, and together the three of them teary eyed go to join everyone else together mingling within the crowd. But their reunion was quickly overthrown as more pressing matters quickly become apparent. Everyone was jumping up at Simba speaking about death and pain and what had happened to their homes, Simba looks around, everybody he ever knew was here, all his old friends are all in pain and worried. Only Kopa was missing. Looking around everyone was getting re-acquainted, Afua was with his fellow Knights Ni and Tojo along with Beba the cheetah cub who was talking with Malka, Beba and Malka both come from the Sacred Valley and they were talking about the fall of Ahadi, Zuzu who previously served King Ahadi joins in their conversation. Kovu was looking after Vitani and asking her what happened as she expresses her concern about the kidnapped Kopa back at the cavern, it was chaos and it was all noisy as everyone was speaking over one another until a huge lightning bolt strike Priderock itself roaring above everyone else the flash alone causes everyone to gasp and become silent.<p>

One problem at a time, Simba thinks to himself, as everyone is silent the king goes around to each group and speaks to them.

"Our home is gone, someone tampered with the lake underground, the lake emitted a mist which froze the Dry Forest, we are the only survivors, I found some crystals in the lakes, they were cold like ice," Chumvi speaks explaining all he knew,  
>"Those crystals are from Vulcan Rock!" Ni speaks,<br>"Someone had stolen those crystals from Vulcan Rock in the Outland, the crystal made the water there cold. We lived in the Outland and when the crystals were stolen a lioness named Solta destroyed Vulcan Rock." Ni explains knowing now that the crystal was taken up to the north to destroy the Dry Forest.  
>"Solta, I know that name, Solta killed my father Kivuli!" Kovu explains recognising the name knowing the dark lioness was still out there someplace and that if he ever saw her again he would surely fight and end her once and for all.<br>"I think I know who took the ice from Vulcan Rock. A purple snake with red stripes, my pride in the Sacred Valley, they are all gone, poisoned by that venomous spitting snake, he killed them all. His red eyes have no mercy. Simba, it wasn't Scar who killed is father Ahadi, he was Joka the snake, he poisoned Ahadi. Also I have met that snake before, he is more than just a snake, he manipulated me and Kopa, Joka made Kopa return," Malka explains all he knows; Malka's pride was dead because of Joka. It was the same snake who manipulated Kopa in the Outlands into hating and eventually attacking Kovu,  
>"It was that snake who poisoned me..." Kiara says weakly laid on the ground as Kovu nuzzles her affectionately.<br>"That snake, he took Kopa, Kopa is gone, that snake called Joka he took Kopa away!" Vitani groans laid on the floor as everyone looks over at her, they could see the worry in her face; Kopa was the only one missing out of everyone. It's at this time Unwami the elder Ethiopian wolf steps forward to speak, his fur was still burned off from the Oasis fire,  
>"Joka the snake, he has others working for him, Solta the lioness you speak of and Bhat a bat-eared fox both take orders from that snake, it was Bhat who burned down the Oasis, the Oasis is gone, nothing more than a pile of dust by now," Unwami sighs as Ma was holding the meerkat baby, she was stood with Uncle Max and conversing with Timon and Pumbaa,<br>"It was also that same snake who attacked Uncle Max," Timon shouts, remembering back when a deadly snake attacked his Uncle in the Oasis and gave the warning that the equilibrium of the world will be broken. Then Nala decides to speak,  
>"It was a purple snake with red stripes who told me Mheetu was still alive, that snake lied to me and gave me false hope," Nala recalls it was the same snake Joka who told her about Mheetu still been alive and sent her to the Elephant Graveyard where if it wasn't for Kovu she would of got attacked by the Hyena's. Joka destroyed the hope inside her that one night.<br>"Joka the snake, I have met him before, I believe this snake is the reason that Scar killed Mufasa, I believe this snake was also manipulating Zira, when I saw her body in the Shadowland she had certain marks on her fur meaning a snake had killed her." Rafiki remembers a spitting snake with purple skin and red stripes tried to end him when he was looking after Mufasa and Taka one night many, many years ago. Its fangs were sticking outwards dangerously and it shouted: "You shall not intervene!" But Mufasa knocked the snake away and saved Rafiki's life. Joka the snake was there too, Joka tried killing Rafiki when he first came to the Pridelands. It was that day that Joka met Taka and the plan to corrupt him began to spiral out of control. Joka manipulated Taka into doing horrible things; Joka hissed words which made Taka only hate his brother Mufasa. It only at that moment everyone suddenly realises: Joka the Snake has hurt everyone in some way at some time. He's hurt everyone, killed and even got others to kill for him. But yet no one ever truly spoke of the snake until now. Joka the Snake has caught them all off guard. Everyone starts arguing again, yelling over one another, speaking of the Pridelands are burning around them and how they are at war, but suddenly everyone is silenced once again but this time but a sharp evil snake laugh which echoes Priderock, the laugh echoes around them as everyone looks around.

"So I have your attention." Joka speaks with an evil hiss under his tongue and in a flash of purple lightning he appears on the longest terrace of Priderock above, finally revealing himself to everyone, it was him; the devourer of worlds.  
>"What is going on here?" Simba roars trying to make sense of the situation as Joka hisses looking down on everyone.<br>"What's happening here is that your precious little balance is broken," Joka taunts his voice echoing across Priderock the storm rages louder and louder, before long, Solta and Bhat appear at either side of the snake, Solta looked worried by Bhat just giggled childishly. Joka turns his head from side to side as his neck cracks, the snake of his companions must have slipped in the Pridelands while everyone was arguing nobody saw him. It is at that moment everyone realises they are surrounded, infact all of Priderock was surrounded by Hyena's, Grey furred lionesses, Vultures all matter of creatures which form an army. Everyone suddenly looks around as the army surrounds them, everyone draws their claws. Joka just smiles deviously; his plan had come together so perfectly, the Pridelands were all destroyed around them and his army had formed when Zira was defeated, Joka gathered the Hyena's along with everyone who had hate for Priderock together.

"Kill them all!" Joka shouts loudly as suddenly everyone is forced into fighting the army charges at Priderock, everyone splits up in their separate direction, the storm raged above them all as Simba and all his friends fight for their lives and for the sake of the Pridelands, smashing one Hyena across the face as the Vultures swoop down from above. Zazu and the hornbills take flight to fight the vultures in the air, Tojo helps by sending a mass of his two hawks along with some more blue birds to help them in the air, the birds fight in the air biting and clawing one another, the lionesses loyal to Joka had grey fur but some of them had sticks which were aflame in their mouths and they set off to burn the grass, the fires coil across the ground burning the area around Priderock. Solta and Bhat rush down to the ground level to join the fighting.

Simba smashes another Hyena in the face, together he stands protecting his daughter would did not have the proper strength to fight, the king and queen stand back to back as they fight off an entire army of hyena's, Nala was clearly the better fighter her claws were sharp and she pounced into a group of Hyena's. Solta rushes off to join the fighting but she was apprehensive, she cocky personality had somehow faded, she walks through the fighting and destruction as fire sets alight around her and creatures fight and die all around her. Bhat runs up to the Lion King she laughs,

"Didn't we used to be friends Simba?" Bhat teases, she really did used to be Simba's friend when he was a cub. Suddenly joining the fight, Bhat jumps on the Lion King and with her extra long claws digs them into the kings back causing him to roar in pain. Simba rolls on the ground to try and get her off; kicking riotously her finally grabs her and because Bhat was so small Simba manages to throw her across the battlefield before continuing to fight.

Beba the cheetah runs faster than she's ever run before, brushing past most creatures as an Vulture swoops down and uses it claws to grab onto her, she was prey to vultures, it grabs onto her and she turns on her back to scrap the Vulture across the ground but also falling herself the two of them lay in a heap on the ground. Across from them Afua cannot get to his mate as he is being held back by a grey furred lioness, Afua growls he tries to fight, he was a Knight he needed to be stronger. Afua looks around but he cannot see Chumvi or even Kula for that matter, then Afua kicks behind him, kicking the grey lioness off him and rushes to his mates aid sliding down next to her just as Beba coughs and gets up the two of them meet and Afua gets to lick his mates cheek only once before they're once again forced into fighting.

Even Rafiki has to fight, waving his staff around violently knocking the hyena's away, he stands with Tojo, together the two of them fight off an entire horde of hyena's and all matter of creatures, Tojo could fight, he was a great fighting, his fighting style was unlike anything Rafiki had seen, Tojo was jumping over hyena's, swirling around while defeating them Tojo grabbed a Hyena by the scruff and throw it to the ground as Rafiki trips over another running hyena with his staff.

"Solta!" Kovu roars angrily running towards her as fast as he can, Solta backs off but it is too late Kovu pounces on the dark lioness, suddenly the two of them get into a scuffle fighting eachother off, clawing Solta, Kovu wounds her badly he was going to kill her, he wanted revenge more than anything, but amazingly Solta held back in the fight,  
>"Kovu please, you need to know what I told Kivuli!" Solta yells pushing the prince off her. She growls lowly she was working with the dark snake and for this she was an enemy but Kovu backed off, he really wanted to know what she told his father to make him shed that final tear. Kovu runs to Solta and grabs her by the neck and pushes her to the ground, her growls angrily, squeezing tightly the rage in his eyes was clear, Kovu roars all of his teeth were showing now, Solta chokes as the prince holds her neck tightly she gags and gasps for breathe but she manages to speak more words,<p>

"I told him...I told him his son still lives. He has another son Kovu, you have a brother!" Solta reveals before suddenly pouncing on Kovu clawing at his burnable face wildly and kicking him away leaving the prince defeated on the ground, Solta took advantage of the prince; her words had shocked Kovu so much she easily took him down; Solta brushes her claws off before running away from the battle and fleeing the fighting. Could it be Mheetu that she spoke of?

Further away from Priderock, Malka protects Tama. He had just found her and he wasn't going to let her get hurt. Malka had just found her and he was going to protect her now, Malka fights off a group of Vultures who strike from above, just as he hits a vulture a group of hornbills fly down and collide with the vultures and damage their wings. But just as Malka was about to kill the wingless vultures Tama stops him again, she looks at her mate and shakes her head. Why does she keep stopping him? What is she hiding?

Together, Vitani, Doti and Kiara all fight together, Vitani and Kiara were both wounded, but they both needed to fight, the three of them band together and pounce on a grey lioness who was extremely strong, together they overpower the grey lioness but as they do even more grey tainted lionesses join the fight, it was massive scuffle, the grey lionesses were nasty they try to strike Vitani's wounded leg in a feeble attempt to win the brawl, but Doti the previous Outlander was looking out for her best friend and quickly dispersed the grey lionesses with her claws smashing them across the head and body.

"Fight to the end!" Unwami shouts and dives into a group of hyena's, he was outnumbered but the elder wolf knew how to fight, he had the sharpest teeth and even in his old age the wolf could move quick, he was darting across the battlefield helping others especially his meerkat friends. Unwami suddenly spots her, his old rival the devilishly evil fox named Bhat, she was deadly and took everything as a game, but just as Unwami spots her with a flaming tree branch in her maw the female fox was gone disappeared into the crowd of fighting lionesses.

Everyone fights together and bands as one, protecting and looking out for eachother, slowly and together they fight, but the battle seemed to never end, the battlefield went on for miles, and the army vastly outnumbered the Lion King's friends and family. The hyenas were easily beaten however and together Simba with his mate Nala join Ni underneath Rafiki's Baobab tree home, Ni quickly nuzzles Nala comforting him but as he turns back to Priderock by now the fires had grown out of control and Priderock was burning. Simba roars the loudest he has ever roared before, his roar was calling everyone to him; they needed to regroup underneath the Baobab Tree which was out in the distance away from Priderock itself and could be a sturdy stronghold. Fighting hordes of hyenas together everyone slowly makes their way and reunites at the old tree.

"Where are Chumvi and Kula?" Tama asks as everyone looks around for their missing companions,  
>"Oh no..." Afua pouts looking out at the battlefield, in the distance he can see Chumvi and Kula being kidnapped and dragged along the ground away during the fighting they were being taken to the Shadowlands! Everyone fights at the tree,<br>"Why concern yourself about them so much?" Ni shouts while fighting looking to see Chumvi and Kula being kidnapped.  
>"Because Chumvi and Kula are my mom and dad!" Afua shouts back he wasn't going to let anyone stop him. Afua wants to save his parents he wants to lead an expedition to save them and he would not care going into the Shadowland, he had lived with his mom and dad all his life, but the Lion King himself stops Afua, knowing the Shadowland was extremely dangerous,<br>"Afua going out there now is certain death, you must be patient we _will_save them," Simba holds Afua back reluctantly Afua sighs and stands back with saddened eyes.

Together at the tree everyone slowly defeats the army who back off or the hyenas that run away when knowing the battle was lost. Slowly Simba and his friends start winning, and the battle eventually clams down, everyone begins to rest at the Baobab tree, and Rafiki inspects everyone's wounds, nobody was seriously hurt but they were many cuts and scars. But because everyone stayed together the battle was half won, the purple lightning above still raged, during the fighting the storm only got worse and now swirls around the top of Priderock in the distance. Kovu still ponders if Solta was truthful about him having a brother or not, Afua worries about his parents Chumvi and Kula, it had all come so sudden, they were taken from their homes and now Priderock was under attack once more, everyone regroups and looks around, some lionesses loyal to Simba were still fighting in the distance, then Simba goes to lay down at the other side of the tree and licks his wounds on his paw, he sighs deeply, they were safe at the tree for now but who knows how long the fighting will be begin again, luckily all of Simba's friends were here to help, but just as Simba was about to go and fight again he hears the sudden hiss of Joka, it was quiet at first but then suddenly Joka appears before the king, the snake burrows his way through the ground and up onto the surface, Simba scowls at the snake and Simba draws his claws and dives at the snake but Joka was too fast and slippery, the snake easily dodged the Lion King's attacks. Joka grins,

"All this time, I've been hiding in the shadows, look around you, the Pridelands are torn apart. The entire Savannah will be extinct before long, with all of you along with it!" The snake hisses he did not fight because the snake always got others to fight for him.  
>"You're Insane!" Simba shouts he growls loudly drawing attention to them, but somehow the snakes words got to Simba he started to look around his Pride was fighting valiantly but the Pridelands are all burning around him, the sky itself was black and rained with lightning and roared with thunder,<p>

"Tama, the little cub who was swept away, you were lost and little Nala didn't save you, she is not your true friend, you have no friends Tama, this is not your home, but do you want to know my secret Tama? I broke the Daggermouth Gorge dam." Joka looks right into Tama's eyes and somehow she knew it to be true, the snake was there, during the adventure of eight, Joka saw the cubs below he used his tail to let the logs roll and let the water explode out into the gorge, it seemed the snake had being everywhere and hurt everyone, Joka pauses but suddenly Tama jumps up from behind the snake and grabs him tightly, she was in a rage this snake which broke the Daggermouth Dam all those years ago, they wrestle to the ground

"You did this to me!" Tama screams and wrestles with the snake her claws drawn but Joka quickly crawls and wriggles his way out of her grip and then Joka quickly uses his long fat tail and knock both Tama and Simba of their paws and into the ground. He turns to face her with a devious grin on his face before burrowing his head to the ground and slivering underground. As soon as the snake was gone everyone rushes to help them, Malka himself rushes to cuddle his mate in tears.

"Don't listen to him Tama! We're here, and for now we are safe! The throne doesn't matter as long as we're together"  
>Nala helps her friend Tama up onto her paws and nuzzles her warmly, they were best friends and a snake wasn't going to split them apart, but everyone heard the snake confess, Joka caused the Daggermouth Gorge incident. Tama cries out, for so long she had being alone in the world, as Malka and Nala stay by her side everyone gathers around Simba for the final time,<p>

"Not even Joka could've planned this," Tojo smirks as his two feral hawks Moyo and Kiwi fly down to him,  
>"No, everything all just seems too perfect, we won too easily, I think Joka did plan this," Simba replies,<br>"What?" Everyone speaks together,  
>"Joka planned this, he planned all this: think about it, he wants us together, all of us: in the same place at the same time,"<br>"Why?" Kiara could feel her father trembling as he spoke,  
>"So he can kill us all…" Simba looks out on the battlefield, meanwhile the mandrill Rafiki rushes to his tree, he easily climbs up into his tree to get one object; entering his home which he never thought he would see again, Rafiki rustles through his home and takes the object he wanted. Rafiki opens his palm to show the object he wanted: A Black Scarab, the sign of death. Rafiki grabs his staff and is about to leave as suddenly he sees a circle of his paints have been splashed all across his home, someone has already being in here. Looking up Rafiki see's the bat-eared fox named Bhat, he gasps to see her with a small branch in her little mouth and one end of the thin branch is on fire. Bhat loved fire. The evil fox winks at Rafiki before tilting her head to alight the paints on the floor, Bhat then quickly drops the flaming branch blows a kiss to Rafiki before jumping from the tree and fleeing, within the seconds the fire had erupted through the tree and Rafiki was trapped. He clutches the Black Scarab tightly before flammable paints the tree suddenly explodes into deadly yellow and red flames and Rafiki is caught in the centre. The flames burn bright. The Baobab tree explodes into fire, sending fire in all direction; the painting of the cub on Rafiki's tree wall representing Kopa starts to fade the paints all melt into one colour: the colour black. The wood of Rafiki's tree breaks the mandrill doesn't move. Suddenly everyone standing under the tree feels the full force of the explosion as they are all knocked backwards, the flames erupt above them as everyone runs but the flames around everyone, everyone below all of Simba's friends are cindered by the flames, Kovu's fur is especially cindered by the flames, the prince gasps and rolls on the grass. The debris of Rafiki's home falls on top of them the burning wood falls around them as the tree burns brightly. Simba quickly jumps onto the tree and bravely jumps inside the fire, everything in the tree was ruined, and Simba grabs his old friend and jumps from the tree just as it explode again. The old baboon is barely breathing, his black and white fur is burned clean off and he was in bad shape as Simba lays him away from the tree Rafiki drops his Black Scarab as it rolls from his hand and across the ground. Simba hugs his old friend Rafiki in his paws,<p>

"Rafiki... you are... you are the last of The Ancients, you are the last of your kind. You can't die, you were always here for me, you were here for all of us and now what remained of your people can't die with you," Simba speaks with great sadness as now, the Lion King knew all along of Rafiki's deepest secret: Rafiki is an Ancient, one of the creatures who lived before the Pridelands had a name and it seemed not all of them died during the Great Earthquake. This makes Rafiki impossibly old; it seemed nobody knew how he lived for so long... But now what remained of The Ancients was dying in Simba's paws, all of Simba's friends slowly gather around they were desperate for guidance all around them it was chaos in the Pridelands,

"Simba?" Tojo walks up to his old friend up to see Rafiki lying lifeless on the ground.  
>"We have to get out of here!" Malka says stepping forward and realising the danger to himself and everyone else,<br>"Priderock isn't safe any more..." Kovu gives his best advice to the king as Simba just stands there in shock, Rafiki was surely gone, the wise and sometimes eccentric mandrill had saved the Pridelands a hundred times or maybe even more than that and now even he is suffering, his tree house home now destroyed and burning brightly above everybody,  
>"Daddy, what do we do?" Kiara asks tremblingly, everyone looks at Simba as the Pridelands fall apart around them. Simba suddenly comes to the realisation that the snake was right, four have died, the prophecy is complete and Joka has won. Simba is saddened to see his kingdom destroyed, it was all coming down, all they once knew was gone, their home and memories shattered by a snake from the past and Simba the last ever Lion King is forced to make a monumental decision:<p>

"We have to leave Priderock...Forever."

Everywhere, fires burn, Priderock itself has fallen and now burns with the rest of the kingdom. Cracks appear in the land itself as the Pridelands quake and reform, earthquakes rock the land and huge gaps in the surface of the world appear as the earthquake increases strength, new gorges form as gaping holes appear cracking outwards like a wave of destruction, the storms rages across the Pridelands, Joka's army had overpowered everyone, the Pridelands were burning and falling apart. Perched at the pinnacle of the destruction the Joka remains on the very peak of Priderock, he turns his head and looks dead onwards his red eyes gleam and he smiles deviously, it was a smile unlike anything seen before, somehow behind his smile everyone knew he was the ultimate evil.

"I've done it, Hahahaha! I win!" Joka shouts up to the heavens, the snake looks up at the dark sky the purple lightning strikes down above flashing in the clouds with thunderous applause. Joka the snake, he killed the Great Spirit herself in cold blood, he made Taka into the monster which became named as Scar, he used everyone as pawns; he did it all. The Dry Forest, Vulcan Rock, Scared Valley the beautiful Oasis and now even Priderock were gone, he has crumbled the Pridelands.

"Now I have gained my vengeance on the Great Spirit!" Joka laughs, he was speaking up into the clouds and the snake knew the Great Spirit herself was listening form the Great Beyond above,  
>"Yes my dearest; come and see your world in flames!" Joka spits into the air the lighting strikes Priderock causing the monument to shake but the snake had no fear and just remained there. Joka then watches the destruction of the Pridelands around him from the very top of Priderock, fire's everywhere, his army cheering victory, his eye's blood red and a deviously evil grin etched on his face. He has won.<p>

This is the end.

**End of Episode XI.  
><strong>  
><strong>End of Book Three.<strong>


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